Xbox Game Pass survey suggests Microsoft may be considering a $3 tier with ads

Microsoft appears to have been asking Xbox players through a market survey about a new and much cheaper tier of Xbox Game Pass. If the questionnaire is any indication, the company could offer a new membership plan worth €2.99 or just a little over $3.

The survey in question was recently shared on ResetEra (via Windows Central). The questions and answer choices are in Spanish, but a machine translation indicates the respondents were asked to consider a couple of “hypothetical video game subscription options.”

The cheaper hypothetical subscription tier, which would be priced at €2.99, could only be used by one user. It would not have multi-device support, and the subscriber would have to choose between a console and a PC.

There are interesting exclusions in the make-believe, cheaper Xbox Game Pass tier. The survey suggests its game catalog would not have more than 100 titles, which is a staple selling point for Microsoft’s gaming subscription service. It would not provide day-one access to first-party titles, but it would allow members to play Xbox-published games six months after they were released.

The $3 Xbox Game Pass tier would have online multiplayer support, but it would not support any form of game streaming. Subscribers would have to download all titles they want to play from the catalog, which could easily consume plenty of storage space.

It also lines up with previous reports that Microsoft has been considering introducing ads into Xbox games and services. The ResetEra user who shared the survey said it mentioned the appearance of “advertisements before the game.” It was not clear, though, if it actually meant there would be ads every time members start a game.

Surveys are quite common for tech services, and it does not always lead to the actual launch of a product being discussed. But it is worth noting that this is not the first time Microsoft has been rumored to introduce ad-related features to Xbox users.

Earlier this year, a report emerged claiming that the company has been considering adding in-game ads in free-to-play titles. Microsoft has yet to confirm its supposed Xbox ads plans, but a recently discovered patent filed by Microsoft seemed to corroborate the report.

Photo by Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash