Unleashing Gaming Gold: Xbox Game Pass's Epic August Adventure

Highlights

Xbox Game Pass has been thriving during this quieter summer period, offering a variety of great game additions for all types of players.

Stray, a highly successful PlayStation exclusive, is finally making its way to Xbox. However, Xbox Game Pass is unfortunately missing out on the chance to immediately include it in their service.

Including Stray in Xbox Game Pass could have drawn in a larger audience, generated excitement during slower periods, and enhanced the relationship between Xbox and PlayStation.

The past month or two have served as a valuable reminder of the worthiness of subscribing to Xbox Game Pass. While the first half of 2023 has been filled with a multitude of highly anticipated video game releases, all competing for the attention of gamers simultaneously, the upcoming second half appears to be following suit. However, during this quieter period in the middle of summer, Xbox Game Pass truly shines.

Although there haven't been an overwhelming number of major games added to Xbox Game Pass in recent months, there have been numerous impressive additions, offering a substantial amount of content suitable for all types of players. From the inclusion of Grand Theft Auto 5 to the arrival of Exoprimal, Xbox Game Pass has been catering to the diverse preferences of its users. Furthermore, the upcoming lineup for August is shaping up to be quite strong. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that a significant Xbox release scheduled for August will seemingly not be available on Xbox Game Pass, representing a missed opportunity.

Stray Should Be On Xbox Game Pass

Initially, PlayStation Plus had only a limited number of games that truly enticed players to upgrade, many of which had already been played by PlayStation fans. Surprisingly, a small Indie game featuring a cat and its robot companion turned out to be a highly effective marketing tool, surpassing all other first-party PlayStation exclusives upon its release. By the end of the year, over four million PlayStation users had experienced the game called Stray, which significantly contributed to the success of PlayStation Plus.

Now, after just over a year since its initial launch, Stray is making its way to Xbox. Scheduled for release on August 10, it is commendable to see PlayStation allowing a former exclusive to become available on Xbox. Stray is an exceptional and visually stunning game, and offering it to a broader audience is a positive development for the gaming industry. However, it would be even better if Xbox could take things a small step further.

Xbox is missing a valuable chance by not including Stray on Xbox Game Pass upon its release. Despite its potential success, Stray could reach a wider audience and make for a great addition to the service during these slower Summer months if it were available on Xbox Game Pass. Given its year-long PlayStation console exclusivity and the high praise it received upon initial release, Xbox fans are likely eager to finally have the opportunity to play it, thus making Stray a highly successful Xbox Game Pass game.

There may be legal obstacles preventing Stray from being immediately available on Xbox Game Pass. However, having it on the service would have been beneficial not only for subscribers but also for both Xbox and PlayStation. The recent FTC court hearings revealed a less than favorable portrayal of the relationship between Xbox and PlayStation. By including Stray on Xbox Game Pass, both companies could have shown the gaming public their ability to work together. While Maquette's recent addition to Game Pass demonstrated this to some extent, Stray being on the service would have been a more significant gesture.