Please note that this post is tagged as a rumor .
Xbox Game Pass may merge Premium and PC tiers
For those who do not own an Xbox console, Game Pass offers a special PC tier, which is its best feature. However, this could change in the future.
Microsoft is exploring changes to its subscription lineup that could combine Xbox Game Pass Premium with PC Game Pass, according to The Verge, and confirmed by Windows Central. Reportedly, sources describe this as early-stage work, alongside efforts to bundle more third-party services into Game Pass. However, no major Game Pass changes are to be expected this year.
Assuming that Microsoft does not plan to change pricing, this would mean a price hike for PC gamers. Currently this tier costs around $16.50 in the US (after 40% price hike in October), while Game Pass Ultimate is now at $30. The alternative is the Premium tier, which costs $15; however, based on library data , it does not have all PC-tier games.
Specifically, Warren says that the firm might be planning to merge the PC Game Pass tier with another, such as Xbox Game Pass Premium; Windows Central can corroborate this with our own sources. He also notes that Microsoft is looking to bundle more third-party services with Game Pass memberships.
— Windows Central
Day-1 releases at risk?
One possible outcome of a Premium and PC Game Pass merge is changes to what PC subscribers get, including how day-one access is handled. Ultimate already includes day-one first-party releases, while Premium does not offer the same access.
The Verge did not say Microsoft is planning to remove day-one releases from PC Game Pass, and Microsoft has not announced any new rules, pricing, or timing beyond what has been reported so far. But if Microsoft does adjust tiers later, first-party releases such as the Forza Horizon series could end up limited to Ultimate.
Right now, the only solid point is that Microsoft is looking at ways to tidy up a lineup that covers console, PC, and cloud, with things like bundling and tier consolidation on the table. I’m all in into making tiers simpler and, of course, cheaper.
Source: The Verge , Windows Central
