Some Xbox Insiders Are Testing a Major New Xbox Game Pass Feature

Xbox is experimenting with a new Xbox Game Pass feature that could dramatically change its usage, but it is only in certain regions for now.

Xbox Game Pass continues to grow month to month as new games are added to the subscription service. The mix of day-of-release first-party titles, indie surprises, and third-party AAA titles continues to offer impressive value for Xbox and PC gamers. Xbox is always exploring ways to make Xbox Game Pass even more attractive to new subscribers, though. One example is a now-in-testing feature allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to share the service with their friends.

The announcement comes from Xbox’s news wire, informing Xbox Insiders in Columbia and Ireland of a new feature available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Starting August 4, subscribers in these regions will be able to share their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits with multiple people. In other words, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers participating in the feature preview can invite friends and family members to have access to Xbox Game Pass.

Access will only be open to friends and family members within the same region, so this Xbox Game Pass feature won’t be available across the world yet (if ever). However, it’s a unique opportunity for Xbox users to potentially share their subscriptions or even figure out a deal to share Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s costs and then share the service. For the time being, only four people are able to be added to an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan under the new preview.

It should be clarified that this isn’t a free upgrade. Rather, it’s a new version of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. It could be considered a family plan, of sorts. While a price point hasn’t been clarified, “conversion” of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the new group-based subscription is equivalent to 1 month of the subscription being shifted into 18 days of the new service. As such, prices would be less than double. If a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is $15, the new subscription would be below $30.

Family plans aren’t rare in the video game industry for similar subscription services, of course. Nintendo offers a Nintendo Switch Online Family Plan at a discounted rate, which may be the most direct comparison. If a company can charge extra and allow gamers to invite family members to join their service, it’s reaching players it may otherwise have missed out on. The more players in the ecosystem, the more opportunity for additional monetization.

Source: gamerant