Microsoft Provides More Detail On Its New Xbox Game Pass Standard Tier

How can you have both Game Pass "Standard" and Game Pass "Core"? How is the average person meant to know which one of those they are going to need? The whole point of Game Pass is that it was a simple sell - pay the sub, play every game Day One. Easy.

Now it's becoming a right old mess.

Then again, I guess that's the point...

I do like that now all teirs of gamepass include online. Non ultimate members don't need to have two subs.

I still think removing "day 1" is silly, one if the major criticisms of PSN is its confusing teirs.

Making "standard" a streaming only version makes more sense to me, particularly with the while "you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox" thing they have going on.

I see myself, unless something huge changes, unsubscribing from Gamepass all together when mine is set to renew in November of 2025.

@Ooccoo_Jr Calling their third generation console "One"

Releasing a One S and One X.

Then following that up with a Series S and Series X.

Confusion is the name of the game. I feel like that was their intention ever since the One.

I can't tell your how many people I see call the Xbox One the "original Xbox". Or having issues with a game like say, Palworld, and when asking their console type they say "The newest one, the Xbox S!" ask then to send a picture. And it is a freaking One S.

@WhiteRabbit
To be fair, gotta be pumping out some serious first party games for that to matter. And while I adored Starfield and have 200 hours in it, I understand it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But everything else first party on there I want? I pretty much bought before Gamepass existed. And that itself is telling on how long it has been since they've had a catalog that commanded any attention.

Not surprised at all. At the current price level this can't be sustainable for Microsoft (I know they claim it is, but in the end it heavily depends on different assumptions when it comes to accounting and "lost sales").

@themightyant, to be fair, it might just be careful wording. Could be the case that they just don't want people to know "every game will hit the service after six months", so they can announce it twice. Given how much games there are nowadays it's pretty easy to just wait a few months in most cases (plus, if you're patient and don't care about limited/collector's editions, you get most games pretty cheap after a while).

at least gamepass standard includes multiplayer now gamepass console didnt

dont have a problem with gamepass standard its basically equal to ps+ extra in what it offers and what it costs

I said this would happen, and was shot down by some. I think it is still possible that this years Call of Duty will be on Standard, but it is just as possible that it will in fact be on Ultimate. The reason I think it may be on Standard this year is the flack Microsoft will take will be considerable, and so it is perhaps more likely that only future CoD's (so after this years) will be on Ultimate though. So, 50/50 for this year, but pretty much guaranteed that future ones will be on Ultimate.

I believe the Day One games that Standard will receive will be third-party games and smaller Xbox developed games, but anything considered big exclusives will be on Ultimate. This could include the likes of the next Gears of War title.

I said before that this would happen, and received a lot of grief, particularly from one individual. It will be interesting to see their response now that it has come to pass (excuse the pun!)...

@Ooccoo_Jr Point is to offer bad value with Standard to "force" people to sub for Ultimate.
I mean...for additional 4$ per month you are getting first-party games in subscription day one.

Yes please explain why it is you lied about a price increase I'm not to heartbroken about it but a lie is a lie why not just be honest from the get go??? Phil and his mates might aswell be politicians now flip flopping lying through there teeth they literally said no new gamepass tiers no price increases!!

@Ricky-Spanish Who lied about price increase?
I mean, for last few months it was obvious that they will increase prices. Tom Warren talked about this and Microsoft execs also implied it.

@Godot25 Phil did a couple times it's not new news it's been said I'm not the only one saying this🤦

@Godot25 problem is, will GPU keep getting day 1? Not long ago MS said there would be no price rise etc.

MS are so so bad with communication. Even when they say it’s not happening it then does.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Thank you 👏

Why confuse things??? Who gets paid to make these decisions???

@Ricky-Spanish What? How can it be "not in the news," but Spencer said it? If he said it, you probably read it somewhere. And if you read it, googling it takes probably 15 seconds.

But you can't find it, because he didn't said it. Not recently. Fact that he was talking about "holding prices" in 2021 is pretty irrelevant in 2024 after inflation surge.

And that's not me defending Microsoft. Every price increase is bad for consumer. But this price increase was pretty much telegraphed months in advance for everyone who is reading Xbox news. So many people around Microsoft (like Tom Warren) was talking about it, that expecting no price increase was stupid. It was just about "how big of a price increase"

since goldeneye came to xbox i would say it, starfield, and dead island 2 where the only worth while games on gp for me. im out.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Well, it currently have. If it won't have I will stop subbing. Because day one releases are main point of subbing for me.

Even at 17,99€, Ultimate is well worth to me. Next year I would had to buy Doom The Dark Ages, Fable, South of Midnight and plenty other games that will be in Game Pass. Only those three full priced games covers my yearly Ultimate payment.

@Ooccoo_Jr Its very similar to PS+ Essential, extra, Premium tiers.

Core, like Essential, offers around 24-36 games a year you can play - PS+ gives a few games 'monthly' where as Core has the range of games available all the time. Its the 'basic' Sub required for Online gaming.

Standard, like PS+ Extra offers a Large library of games you can play that maybe slightly 'older' but you won't get 'Day 1' releases (that's been 'substituted' for Game Pass Core). It includes everything you 'need' to play a large Library of games on Xbox Console only. Its very similar to the PS+ Extra tier.

Ultimate is their Premium Service - offering Day 1 games, combine Game Pass Standard, PC and Cloud into so can play 'anywhere', and also gives EA Access. Unlike Sony's Premium service which offers PS1-PS3 games, this offers Day 1 releases of NEW games...

The 'new' Standard is basically a way to 'simplify' - either you get Day 1 games - but still need to Sub to Game Pass Core for 'online' or you drop Day 1 but now can play every game offered inc online modes. PC doesn't have an 'online' fee so PC Game Pass (its direct equivalent) is offering Day 1 games instead...

It makes sense to me - Standard is specific for Xbox Console users and doesn't offer Day 1, EA Access, PC/Cloud Game Pass etc - equivalent to PS+ 'Extra'

@BAMozzy you are wrong.

Extra gets day 1.

Sony just don’t offer much day 1. It’s got a bigger library in place.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Saying that PS Plus Extra is doing day 1 stuff is pretty generous tbh. Because since launch of the service there were maybe 5 games that were released day one(Stray, Sea of Stars, Animal Well, Dave the Diver and Tales of Kenzera). None of the was first-party.

Also, Standard is not getting first-party games day one. But that doesn't mean that it won't get third-party games day one

@BAMozzy I get all that, but I, like yourself, am a gamer who is clued up and understands this sort of thing (at least I do to a point - neither of us can say when I am getting new releases, if ever, on Standard tier). But this is a horribly confusing way of doing things if you are trying to appeal to new customers.

Why invent the Series S to aim at the more casual crowd if you are then going to ask them to navigate this off-putting mess of poorly defined options?

@PsBoxSwitchOwner some indies and online games that have other monetisation methods (Season Passes, MTX's etc) - but not their big AAA Games like Spider-Man, Wolverine, God of War, Horizon etc...

I know it has the odd game, but in general, its not offering their games Day/Date in the service like Game Pass Ultimate does. Nothing says MS won't put 'ANY' day 1 games at all into Game Pass Standard for example - they could still put the odd Indie/Online game if they thought it would benefit the game more...

Point is - its more akin now to PS+ 'Extra'

Ouuuuu, I love the wording there, games may come to Standard later, but they also may not..
Does that mean MS first party games are not guaranteed to be added to any other tier except GPU?
Noice

@Ooccoo_Jr I think most will not struggle - even if they are not gamers clued up.

For decades now, its known you need a Subscription for Online gaming on Console - PS+ Essential/Game Pass Core is that Sub service.

The next tier up gives them access to a Library of great games that have been out for a while they can play 'for free' whilst they remain subscribed to that tier - just won't get Day 1 releases.

The next tier up adds Cloud streaming & PC Gaming for playing ANYWHERE - not just on Xbox as well as EA Access and Day 1 releases. Its the 'Premium' tier and so Consumers will decide if they 'added' bonuses of 'Ultimate' are worth paying more a month for or whether Core or Standard tiers would suit them better - no different to deciding whether you want/need PS+ Premium or maybe PS+ Essential or Extra is sufficient....

@Ooccoo_Jr I’d say it was more of a mess before as the mid-tier Game Pass Console wouldn’t give you online multiplayer, only Core or Ultimate would. At least now online multiplayer is standardised across the Game Pass umbrella and the tiers are now differentiated simply by the size of the game library (and access to cloud). Seems like a simpler way to differentiate tiers to me, you pay more you get more - which wasn’t the case previously. I’m not defending the price increases, I just think the stratification of the tiers is easier to understand now. It is for me at least.

@Godot25 It's not NEW news check back it's been said buddy sorry if I've upset like I said I'm not heartbroken about the lie it is what it is 👍

What a mess.

Microsoft is absolutely trying to lose me as a subscription here.

@Ricky-Spanish It's hilarious that you are talking about this like it was unexpected and you are implying that someone lied to us, when literally PC Gamer's story about this is

"The long-awaited changes to Microsoft's subscription services have arrived"

Hey, @Kezelpaso, the article on Push Square definitively states that Black Ops 6 will be available only on the Ultimate tier on the day of release this year. Is that correct, or is it, as stated in your article, not yet specified...? Thanks...

So it's obviously worse than the current 'Console' tier and more expensive. And they have made it deliberately vague on what will be on this tier and when. If day one third party games are delayed, will they stay on this tier longer than they are on the Ultimate tier, or will they be here for a shorter time period? A lot of games are on the service for a year, if it comes to Standard 6-months later, will it only be there for 6 months?

A lot of un-answered questions, which seems to be their goal.

@Ooccoo_Jr this may actually be easier to understand than the current model.

Currently:
core gives you a handful of games and online access
Console gives you the whole library but no online access
Ultimate gives you both

Now each tier is an upgrade over the last.

Core: handful of games and online
Standard: that plus more games
Ultimate: that plus even more games, many of them day one. Oh and streaming.

This is what I been predicting they would do for years now! Although I never thought they would increase ultimate’s price tag so high.

@Fiendish-Beaver We've not heard anything official from Xbox yet. The wording so far has been very vague, we assume Push Square has read into it as ALL day one games won't be on Xbox Game Pass Standard.
We're just waiting for a bit more clarification before committing to that here at Pure Xbox.

Thank you, @Kezelpaso. That is what I thought, and dare I say it, is the professional way for a journalist to report detail. I have asked Sammy on Push for his response, to which he said:

Standard tier doesn't include day one games, therefore it's fairly reasonable to assume Black Ops 6 won't be on Standard tier.

Clearly that isn't what the statement from Microsoft has said at this moment, though he is probably right to assume that to be the case. However, the article on Push definitively states that BO6 and Fable will be on Ultimate, which as it stands is not a known fact, and no, I'm not trying to set you guys at each other, I just like things to be accurate...

@BAMozzy @Godot25 I replied that because @BAMozzy said extra doesn’t get day 1 games.when since both you have said they do. So what was quoted was wrong. (As I said it was barely any)

Premium doesn’t give day 1 over extra. Nor does it give day 1 Sony games. Or get Sony games before extra.

If people are going to compare then they have to do it correct not make stuff up.

Most likely I'll stick with Ultimate, but if Standard pretty much just freezes out things like CoD then I'd probably drop to that.

Not a fan of how shady they're being with the wording however.

@Ricky-Spanish I remember this too, I think it was around SGF when rumors were going crazy about price hikes and COD not being on GP, but, I'm too lazy to Google it

@Godot25 Phil said only recently when all the multiplatform crap was coming out he said it then that was just a couple months ago no price rise no new tier and i dont be on that site mate sorry about that

"When asked about Xbox Game Pass in May in an interview with Bloomberg, president Sarah Bond said, “We know our core users love Game Pass. Game Pass is a gaming subscription where you get a whole portfolio of games. But importantly, you get every single one of our games, day one, on Xbox Game Pass.”

That was 2 months ago. Anyone want to still say MS execs don't lie and obfuscate?

My only surprise is that some people will still try and excuse their behaviour..

@Titntin but but but they didn’t specify which game pass level would get day 1 ( well day 5 after trying to get us to shill out for early access).

One of my beliefs that Xbox doesn’t do as well in Europe is because we don’t settle for the BS that some big corps put out.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner

You could be right, but Sony and Nintendo are not exactly saints either - I don't trust any of them.
I just think MS are the worst in terms of openly lying. If MS still had a suite of content like the early 360 days they could have sealed this gen, even in Europe. Lets face it, the bulk of customers don't even hear the lies, never mind recognise them!

@Titntin oh yeah they all just want to empty our pockets.

But I think more are wary with MS due to the size and previous tactics etc

This price hike loses all the appeal that gamepass have, pretty sure in another one two years will be 20€. When their games achieve critical success.

Starting to be more reasonable to just use those 18€ to buy the games that I want on sale.
I can wait, as its what I have done before gamepass.

@Titntin Well, I guess Microsoft decided to redefine what a "core gamer" is. And by their new definition it seems I'm no longer one since I don't "love" Gamepass.

How much do you think they'll charge us to buy tickets to watch the next time Sarah Bond has to answer questions about these changes? "Uhh...uhmm..well...uhh....moments...we like moments...and every day is made of moments...and we're there....all those moments....and...uhh....we're taking screenshots of your banking passwords in those moments too....and...uhh...so we believe charging more makes this more valuable...uhh...for our investors....game pass has a lot more value now that it has tiers...and call of duty is day one...for some customers....soo...uhhm....our next hardware will be such a technological leap.....the technology...what do we mean by technology leap?....we don't know yet...we'll know later....and don't worry about pricing...we'll get to that....later....uhh....help?"

@PsBoxSwitchOwner @Ricky-Spanish Exactly. I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again. The Xbox community/customer relationship was a contract based on trust. Phil told us in plain language the plan, the goal, the strategy, we liked the offering and bought on. That contract has been shattered now that repeated promises are hollow and broken as soon as they're said, and very word they say must be parsed for it's real hidden meaning like talking to a lawyer or slimy salesman. Once that trust is broken the contract falls apart. If we don't trust the platform or the promises of where it's going, the platform loses cohesion.

@Fiendish-Beaver @Kezelpaso The fact that they're being deliberately vague tells us just how hard they're trying to deceive. Not a good look. But the one thing I think is clear, to me, is that day one games are not coming to standard, period.

My hope is it doesn't create the confusing mess that exists with PS Now, with not being sure which games are included in your tier or in the higher tier.

The best thing about Game Pass is that with a console-only or PC-only subscription, you can still play any Xbox Play Anywhere games across both console and PC. Most games seem to be Xbox Play Anywhere these days. I do just fine across PC and console with a single PC Game Pass subscription (I don't care about online multiplayer). I hope they never take that away.

The little time I have to play games makes Game Pass pointless. It’s cheaper to wait until a game is on sale, buy it (to keep) and then play it for the next 3 months.

Microsoft gaming under uncle Phil just keeps getting better and better. How much longer are people going to keep saying it’s not him and those above him making these decisions and if that was the case, why is he even there?

He’s a snake along with the rest of Microsoft’s heads.

Has it been stated whether EA Play is only with ultimate or will it be included with Standard?

It's not necessarily them trying to deceive, @NEStalgia. It could just as easily be that games will be decided on a case by case basis (which is of little use to us gamers) and that a game with mass appeal will be on Ultimate, and a game with lesser appeal being on Standard. It could also be the case that the decision has not yet been finalised, but that Microsoft wanted to implement the price rise as soon as possible with the detail coming later.

Ultimately, being vague allows wiggle room. Not boxing themselves into a corner makes it easier for Microsoft to do what is required at the time, rather than being forced to change policy, or backtrack on what they have said. Is that good for us gamers when we are deciding which Pass to subscribe too? No! Absolutely not, but it does at least not allow Microsoft to be accused of lying if a game is placed on Ultimate, which many might have thought was going to be on Standard (and vice versa).

So, I don't think Microsoft are being deceptive. I just think they are being vague, with the likelihood being that more detail will follow in due course...

I think this will be another instance of 'case by case basis', @themightyant. Though I image that any game that has the potential to draw more subscribers into Ultimate, will, at least initially, be playable there first...

@Fiendish-Beaver ....but....I think that's a different way of saying they're trying to deceive tho...

@themightyant Yeah, there it is again, case by case basis. Everything is case by case since Bethesda was bought. A fancy way of saying "We have no policy, we have no direction, we won't even tell you what you're paying for, you'll find out after we decide it, now fork it over."

If fairness, @NEStalgia, how do you possibly say some will be on Standard, and some will be on Ultimate without effectively using that terminology? You cannot say everything will be on Standard, if if won't be, and you cannot say everything will be on Ultimate, if some of it will be on Standard. There is no easy way to define it unless they outright say everything will be on Ultimate, whether it warrants it or not. It's not being deceptive. It's being practical, and as open as they can. That's not to say I like it, but when being reasonable, there isn't another way to describe it...

@Fiendish-Beaver Because a product and service needs a policy. If there is not an actual policy, what exactly is anyone buying? Game Pass until now had a policy. An assortment of games, with all Microsoft published titles on the service day one. Ultimate has a policy. An assortment of games selected monthly, with all Microsoft published titles on the service day one.

Standard has no policy. "Some games, and maybe some Microsoft ones, maybe not, not day one, probably, but eventually, maybe, maybe not, not sure when, or what ones. Sign here." An open ended policy is basically a loot box. You pay your money and see if you get a good pack. It doesn't even state the odds.

So, yes, they need to define it by outright saying EVERYTHING and making it a policy. or saying NOT everything and defining what that means. It's not a service if they're making up what the service is on a monthly basis, and it's not a mistake if they're being intentionally vague and cagey about defining it.

We know what ultimate includes and can decide the value of that. Nobody actually knows what Standard includes for $15/mo. And MS's policy is to have no policy and decide by whim what it will include based on tarot cards and quarterly outlooks. With that I think adding this tier makes the whole of Game Pass look worse than if they'd just raised the price and not added a tier. A price increase for the second time in a year is bad. Adding a service offering that refuses to say what it actually includes to make the price of the real product look more valuable is worse. It comes across as a situation where marketing said "we need to make a new tier to make Ultimate and the discontinuation of Console look better" and then they ran with that to groom the market without defining what that product will even be.

Imagine starting employment at Microsoft with a contract that says "I'll determine which tasks and obligations I'll carry out later, on a case by case basis."

Imagine EA signing an Xbox platform deal to sell EA Sports titles on Xbox for the next 5 years with terms that say "we'll determine what your revenue split will be later, on a case by case basis." Not going to happen. So why should consumers think this is normal? We've been trained to believe businesses have contract rights but consumers should accept what they're given, that's why.

At a simply high level, Xbox is mostly offering a platform of uncertainty, doubt, and ever changing terms. They need to define a policy of what Xbox products and services offer, and stick to the policy. I said it the other day but Xbox is operating like a Kickstarter company. Everything is by the seat of their pants, fly by night, check the metrics in the morning and redefine the product again until they find something that works. Except that model barely works for Kickstarters, and it sure doesn't work for the #2 market cap on Earth. They're not treating customers as customers, they're treating customers as voluntary market research subjects.

One interesting side effect of this is I think it's actually going to bite them later, in places much more important than Xbox. FTC had it in for them before. But now one of their key promises that they won't raise prices due to the merger, they've gone back on, not just once, but twice. The next time MS finds themselves in antitrust court, and they absolutely will, they've now provided ammunition to use against them. All to be petty and maximize the quarterly.

@themightyant thanks for confirming re: EA only being on Ultimate. That is a bit of a factor for me, since their Jedi games, Dead Space and a few others have been a draw for me

@themightyant no, but the new tier being priced between current console and ultimate price points, and most discourse being about the day 1 aspect, I was not sure where it would fall. But now I know, so thanks again (next time I should read the FAQ, was being lazy, as I am)