Xbox ends $1 Game Pass promo ahead of Starfield release

Microsoft in July announced that it was relaunching the Xbox Live Gold, its online subscription service that allows players to play multiplayer games, as Xbox Game Pass Core. it will finally be launched today, and it not only gives players access to multiplayer features but also free games. For the unaware, Microsoft has another subscription service for the Xbox called Xbox Game Pass that features a vast library of games that players can play without having to purchase each one separately, along with day-one access to new games. Xbox's most popular subscription is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which offers a catalog of more than 400 Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games as well as access to day-one releases.

Starfield has enjoyed a great deal of success, to no one’s surprise, becoming Bethesda’s biggest launch ever with over 6 million players. And, as many would have predicted, the sci-fi RPG’s release has also resulted in boosted sales for Xbox Series X/S.

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PS5 sales in the UK have jumped 60% year-to-date while sales of both Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch are down compared to last year.

XDefiant, Ubisoft's upcoming cross-over arena shooter, still does not have a solid release date and now we know why. In a blog post, producer Mark Rubin confirmed that the game failed its console certification with PlayStation and Xbox, and therefore has been delayed from its original American summer window. It is now eyeing a release sometime between mid-September to the middle of October, depending on any required day-one patches. It's worth mentioning that not passing a certification test is incredibly common for games, but we hardly ever hear about them since it's taken into consideration by publishers when setting a release date far in advance.

Microsoft is following Apple and getting into the credit card business with the Xbox Mastercard.

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

The list of officially licensed Xbox Series X/S controllers continues to grow as PowerA has announced today that it's launching an update to its Spectra Infinity gamepad. The new "Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X/S with Lumectra" is available worldwide today.

Starfield officially arrives September 6, but it has already begun breaking records on Steam. The expansive space RPG hit an all-time peak of 248,632 concurrent players, at the time of writing, which goes to show how impatient players have been for Bethesda's latest. For the uninitiated, those who aren't willing to wait for the official launch can purchase the Rs. 6,699/ $100 Premium Edition of the game and play it early. This is applicable across both Steam and Xbox platforms, with even Game Pass members willing to fork over $31.49/ Rs. 2,519 for early access, despite the title being essentially free for them.

Shortly after first being spotted on Germany’s game ratings website, Minecraft for Xbox Series X/S has now been rated by the US Entertainment Software Ratings Board. The rating indicates that a current-gen release for Minecraft might be closer than we expect.

Further evidence suggesting Microsoft is preparing to release a native Xbox Series X/S version of Minecraft has emerged.