Microsoft Finally Reveals Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family Details
Microsoft finally spilled the beans about the upcoming Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family program. Instead of paying for more than one Game Pass subscription, one for each of the accounts used in your family circle or friend group, you will soon be able to grab some savings and only pay for a single pass. However, there are some restrictions in place that mean not everyone might be able to take advantage of this new offer. Perhaps more importantly, this is only the beginning, so it will take a while until everyone can participate.
Xbox Game Pass makes for a nice alternative to buying games — instead of splurging on certain titles, you get access to many as long as you pay a monthly subscription. New titles are added regularly, although Xbox takes some out every month. Microsoft competes against Sony, which also offers a similar service through the PlayStation Plus program. Introducing Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family could potentially give Microsoft an edge in this particular competition.
The Game Pass membership normally costs $14.99 per month. The Friends & Family plan, when fully operational, will bump that price up, but splitting it among five players means that each one will only have to pay a small amount. The new Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family will include all of the benefits of the Ultimate membership, including online play, access to Xbox Live, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and even the PC Game Pass for cross-platform gameplay.
The program starts out small
To begin with, Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family is only going to be available in a very limited scope — call it a test run. It will be available in Colombia and Ireland, but Microsoft said that it may add further countries and regions in the coming months. In Ireland, the plan is going to be priced at €21.99 per month ($21.92) (versus the €12.99 a single membership costs), and in Colombia, it will cost 49,900 COP (about $11). Microsoft is yet to announce the pricing in other regions, but it's safe to assume it might be in the $20-$35 ballpark.
With the new plan, up to five people can share the same account, but there's a catch — everyone has to be in the same country. As such, sharing with friends and family all over the globe is out the window. If you currently have an ongoing Game Pass subscription and switch to the Friends & Family plan, Microsoft will convert your remaining subscription time into the new plan. 30 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will equal 18 days of Friends & Family; 30 days of the console membership, Xbox Live Gold, or the PC Game Pass — 12 days of Friends & Family; and lastly, 30 days of EA Play will amount to just six days of Friends & Family.
Let's hope that Microsoft will expand this program to include more countries soon enough.