This survey from ResetEra (first spotted by Windows Central) appears to be investigating whether or not Xbox Game Pass subscribers would be ready to pay reduced monthly rates in exchange for access to fewer games.
Players could, for example, pay less overall, but then wait as long as six months before they can play first-party Xbox games. Also, at a lower price point, the service might include built-in advertisements; how exactly this would work is unclear.
A survey’s results aren’t necessarily indicative of anything, but they do imply Microsoft is looking for methods to boost the slowing growth of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, which Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has confessed has slowed down on the console despite high uptake on the PC.
Microsoft claims that as of January 2022, Game Pass had over 25 million active users. In a recent UK examination of its potential Activision acquisition, the corporation stated that it has an installed base of 63 million consoles.
During a web call earlier this year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said (as transcribed by VGC) that the service’s Game Pass subscription growth is “across all platforms driven by the strength off console.”
He stated, “Subscriptions for PC Game Pass climbed 159% year over year, and with cloud gaming, we’re revolutionising the way games are delivered, played, and viewed. Up to this point, over 20 million individuals have utilised the service to stream games. Just on consoles, the service reportedly made $2.9 billion in 2021.
