Unveiling the Ultimate Xbox Game Pass Promotion: Microsoft's Game-Changing Move

Highlights

Xbox Game Pass has dropped the discounted $1 offer for first-time subscribers, disappointing those hoping to take advantage for the upcoming launch of Starfield.

Subscribers can still take advantage of the appealing regular Game Pass pricing, which is particularly attractive when considering the $70 launch price of Starfield. Microsoft's choice to eliminate the $1 deal could suggest their growing belief in the value of Game Pass, with more first-party titles on the horizon.

The Xbox Game Pass discount for first-time subscribers, which was previously available, has now been removed in anticipation of the release of Starfield. This news might be disappointing for gamers who were hoping to take advantage of the discount to play the highly anticipated day-one Game Pass game of 2023.

Gamers may have anticipated utilizing the discount close to the launch date of Starfield in order to maximize its benefits. This would have provided a whole month of access to the game at a fraction of the $70 launch price. Additionally, it would have allowed players to explore the growing library of other games, in case Starfield did not meet their expectations. There is also the opportunity to try out other exciting day-one Game Pass games, such as Payday 3, Lies of P, and Party Animals, which will be arriving in September.

Microsoft has discontinued the offer that allowed gamers to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass and receive their first month for just $1. This deal, which many gamers were awaiting for the launch of Starfield, has been taken off. New subscribers will now need to pay the full price of $9.99 or $10.99 for PC and console respectively, or opt for the Game Pass Ultimate at $16.99, which covers both PC and consoles. Although the regular Game Pass pricing is still attractive, especially considering the $70 launch price of Starfield, it is worth noting that due to the vast scale of the game, players may end up spending more than $70 over a few months or even longer.

The removal of the $1 deal is not solely due to the Starfield release. Microsoft appears to have greater confidence in the long-term value of Game Pass, with one executive describing Starfield as the beginning of a series of first-party titles. Despite the absence of the $1 offer, some gamers may still be enticed to subscribe for a month in order to test out Starfield instead of committing to the full $70 price if they are unsure about enjoying the game.

Many gamers may not be surprised by this news as they have already taken advantage of the $1 offer on a popular Game Pass game released earlier this year, such as Tango Gameworks' unexpected success, Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-based hack and slash game.