Microsoft has discontinued its long-standing $1 trial offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The trial offer, which has been available for years with intermittent periods of unavailability in specific markets, will now be replaced as Microsoft explores new promotional strategies for attracting new members.
In a statement to The Verge, Kari Perez, head of global communications at Xbox, stated, “We have stopped our previous introductory offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass and are evaluating different marketing promotions for new members in the future.”
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The $1 trial allowed users to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass for a month before the full Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription took effect at $14.99 per month or $9.99 monthly for the PC- or console-only subscriptions. This offer has been an excellent way for existing members to recommend the service to friends or family. However, we will now have to wait and see what new marketing promotions Microsoft has planned for prospective new members.
In addition to this change, Microsoft has been working on a Friends & Family plan for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This plan enables subscribers to share Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits with up to four other friends or family members. The pricing for this plan in Ireland is set at €21.99 per month (nearly $24), which equates to less than $5 per person.
Recently, Microsoft expanded its Friends & Family plan to New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Hungary, Israel, and Sweden. However, the plan is still not available in many European markets, nor in the UK and the US. The removal of the $1 trial offer may signal that Microsoft is preparing to extend the Friends & Family plan even further, following less than a year of trials for this new subscription model.
In another recent development, Microsoft has expanded its PC Game Pass subscription to 40 new countries. As a result, Game Pass is now available in 86 markets, with new access points in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. As Microsoft continues to evolve its promotional strategies and expand its services, it remains to be seen what new offers and opportunities will become available for prospective and existing Xbox Game Pass members.
