Xbox Game Pass Already Has Over 15 Million Subscribers

It seems Microsoft’s bet on the future of gaming is finally starting to pay off. According to The Verge, Xbox Game Pass now has over 15 million subscribers and has grown by over 50% in the last 6 months. That is an incredible achievement for Microsoft, considering it has based its entire strategy for next-gen gaming around Game Pass and Project xCloud.

In April 2020, Microsoft had revealed that Game Pass had over 10 million subscribers. That number crossing the 15 million mark is quite staggering and puts a lot of things into perspective. For instance, this is starkly different from what their biggest rival Sony is doing.

Microsoft is solely focused on making games more accessible to consumers rather than selling them individually for a higher price. Fortunately, their belief in the subscription model has paid off, and it is only going to grow even further.

Also Read: Why Microsoft Buying Bethesda Spells Bad News for Sony

Xbox Game Pass now offers more than 150 games for users from day 1. Additionally, with the acquisition of Bethesda along with 8 other studios, all their games will also be available on Game Pass from day 1. Microsoft also announced their partnership with EA Play, which brings the entire library of EA games to Game Pass, at no additional cost.

Xbox Game Pass is a money-making machine in the long-run

Xbox Game Pass is currently priced at $9.99/month. From the looks of it, it seems Microsoft is giving away too much for too little, which doesn’t seem sustainable. But this supposed unsustainability is only in the short-run. Already having 15 million subscribers means the company is looking at a monthly revenue of close to $150 million. Annually, that turns out to be a little over $1 billion, all of which will come solely from the subscription service. So even if Xbox Series S and X don’t sell enough units, they are still looking at a long-term success here.

Also Read: Microsoft Launches New Xbox Beta App on Mobile to Keep You Connected

This could be an absolute game-changer for Microsoft and a little worrying for Sony. Phil Spencer and Co look absolutely determined to end the ‘console war’ for good and make games more accessible to consumers. This will definitely change the way the industry functions and pave the way for a more inclusive ecosystem.