Xbox wants Game Pass everywhere, even other consoles

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.

Microsoft could expand to new markets with ad-supported game streaming.

Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer free game streaming in exchange for advertisements. As per TweakTown, Xbox Gaming CFO Tim Stuart suggested during the recent Wells Fargo TMT Summit that to expand geographically, it would be ideal to leverage the company's xCloud service, allowing players to cloud stream games at any ‘endpoint' via a simple Game Pass Ultimate subscription. He further added, “For models like Africa, or India, Southeast Asia, maybe places that aren't console-first, you can say, ‘Hey, do you want to watch 30 seconds of an ad and then get two hours of game streaming?'”

Microsoft is considering ad-based business models for its Xbox Game Pass streaming service, according to chief financial officer Tim Stuart.

Microsoft is exploring the possibility of offering access to Xbox Game Pass in exchange for viewing advertisements.

Xbox Series X|S maker Microsoft has once again expressed a desire to release its membership service Game Pass on to PS5, PS4, allowing first-party titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport to become available to a wider audience. Xbox CFO Tim Stuart made the comments during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit, stating it to be a «bit of a change of strategy».

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Microsoft spends over $1 billion a year bringing third-party titles to Xbox Game Pass.

With Game Pass being as central to Xbox’s strategy as it has become over the years, it goes without saying that Microsoft has pumped a massive amount of money into the service, especially given how many third party titles the service features in its catalog (many of which launch day and date). How much money exactly, though?

Despite indications and rumours that Xbox might be keen on expanding its Game Pass offerings to also be available on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has revealed that the company doesn’t have any current plans to do it.

Earlier this week, a different Xbox executive said Microsoft's mission was to bring Game Pass to PlayStation and Nintendo.

Xbox Game Pass is adding 12 new titles to its December catalogue, including two day-one releases. The standout here has to be the Remnant franchise — both From the Ashes and its newly launched sequel Remnant II, celebrated for its souls-like shooter experience that pits players against tough-as-nails fantastical monsters, across procedurally-generated levels. Its challenges can also be tackled in co-op, so it's best advised that you check out the sequel because it will have a larger active player base. Another major addition this month is Far Cry 6, setting you against the vibrant tropical island of Yara to topple its ruthless dictator Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito), who is hellbent on using the Viviro, an unstable form of cancer treatment, to restore his land to former glory. It arrives December 14 on Xbox Game Pass.

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