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In late August 2024, Microsoft launched the public testing of Xbox Game Pass Standard, a new tier of its ever-growing Game Pass Program. A few weeks later, the Xbox Game Pass Standard is now available to all Xbox users in supported regions.

Xbox Game Pass Standard costs $14.99/£10.99 per month. For this price, Xbox users get access to hundreds of console games, online multiplayer, and exclusive member-only discounts, some of which can reach up to 50%. However, unlike the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier, Standard does not include access to EA Play, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and PC games. Those perks are available to those willing to pay Microsoft $19.99 per month for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Seven years after its initial launch, the Game Pass program offers plenty of different tiers and options, which might be a bit confusing to newcomers. To help users determine which tier is best for them, Microsoft published a neat infographic detailing the perks and benefits of each Game Pass "configuration."

• PC Game Pass ($11.99/£9.99 mo): Easy option if you play games on PC. If you are a PC-only player, the burden of choice ends for you here. Besides dozens of PC games, PC Game Pass gives you access to the EA Play subscription at no extra cost.
• Game Pass Core ($9.99/£7.99 mo): This one is for those whose main objective is to play games online with their friends on Xbox. For a "low monthly cost," Game Pass Core provides access to online multiplayer, exclusive discounts on games from the catalogue, and free access to 25 games from the Game Pass library. Consider this the good-old Xbox Live Gold with a few extra benefits.
• Game Pass Standard ($14.99/£10.99 mo): As the name suggests, the standard tier is for those who want to get the most out of console gaming without spending too much. Game Pass Standard gives access to hundreds of console games, exclusive discounts, and console multiplayer. If you don't need Microsoft's day-one releases, Game Pass Standard is a good option.
• Game Pass Ultimate ($19.99/£14.99 mo): This is the all-in-one option. It includes console multiplayer, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Streaming, EA Play, exclusive discounts, day-one access, and more. True, this is the most expensive option, but it also gives access to everything that Microsoft has to offer for those playing on PC, Xbox, and in the cloud.

Xbox Game Pass is getting a price hike across all tiers and platforms, and day-one AAA releases are also getting more expensive. In addition, Xbox Game Pass will be temporarily unavailable on console soon, returning later in September with the new Xbox Game Pass "Standard". Pre-existing subscribers will not be affected.

Here are all the major changes. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is getting its price raised to $19.99 / £14.99 a month (previously $16.99 / £12.99), and PC Game Pass is getting its price hiked up to $11.99 / £9.99 a month (previously $9.99 / £7.99). The annual subscription for Xbox Game Pass core is also being increased, rising up to $74.99 / £55.99.

As for this new tier of Game Pass coming to consoles in September, it'll cost $14.99. However, perhaps more importantly, it will not be recieving day-one game releases as part of the sub. It will include Xbox Live Gold - which provides access to online services - but not Xbox Cloud Gaming. If you're on console and still want those day-one releases, you'll have to upgrade up to the Game Pass ultimate tier.

The UK price of the new Standard service has not yet been confirmed but it will be $14.99 in the US, so you'd assume the UK price will be over £10.

Surprisingly, PC Game Pass will still be getting first party games on day one and while it's also getting a price increase it's a more modest increase from £7.99 a month to £9.99 in the UK. The reason being remains uncertain, but one massive factor might be competition on that platform! PC has Steam, a monster of a service that the vast majority of players are happy to stick with. As such, keeping the day-one release perk at a lower price may be an attempt to keep Microsoft sweet in the eyes of this often illusive consumer base.

If you've been left with questions about how exactly these changes will affect your subscription in particular, it's probably worth checking out the FAQ Xbox has posted on its website.

Microsoft Rewards users are again taking another hit on their points, as the Xbox Weekly Console Bonus Rewards points have been nerfed in the UK.

Earlier this year, the Microsoft Rewards app was shut down on Xbox in favour of a new Rewards Hub. The switchover introduced a "new version of streaks" for playing on consoles, which paid out 250 Microsoft Rewards points (Game Pass Ultimate members earn an extra 25 points on top) for players who played a console game five different days a week.

Unfortunately, the Microsoft Rewards Weekly Console Bonus has now been nerfed in the UK, offering just 150 points, while Ultimate members still get the additional 25-point bonus.



When Microsoft launched its new Rewards Hub in March, the company said "Player experience and consistency across regions is top of mind" with the update. But, we've long seen inconsistent experiences with the program across regions, with users in the US often receiving different tasks from players in Europe. This regularly leads to US players having an opportunity to rack up far more points than those elsewhere in the world.

Despite Microsoft's comments about keeping consistency at the "top of mind," the company seems to have targeted one region with its latest nerf. Users in the UK woke up to a new Microsoft Rewards note on the Xbox app today, which says, "Starting Monday, August 5, the Weekly Console Bonus will now reward Xbox Rewards members in the United Kingdom 150 points for players that play on their Xbox consoles five or more days in a week."


Looking at the Bonus in the Xbox app shows that Xbox Game Pass subscribers still earn the extra 25 points on top, making the total available points for finishing the Weekly Console Bonus 175 points — but that's still 100 points less than it was before.

Players were quick to take to Reddit to discuss the nerf, and looking at the comments on one post shows that it seems to only affect players in the UK. Just a quick scroll through the replies reveals users in the US, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and even Ireland reporting no changes to their streaks.

Of course, while users in the UK are currently the only ones to be hit with the changes so far, that's not to say a wider rollout won't come for users in other regions in due time.

You can turn your Amazon Fire TV into an Xbox – even if you don't own the gaming console.

A new upgrade coming to Fire TV devices transforms your television into a console in is own right.



It's all thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming, which lets you play games on machines that wouldn't normally have the power to run them.

Simply connect an Xbox game controller pad to your TV and you'll be able to play it just like a regular console.

"One of the biggest benefits of cloud gaming is the ability to play premium games without needing a console," Amazon explained.

"The Fire TV Stick may be compact, but it can stream and run graphically intense Xbox games like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.

"This portability also means you can easily move your cloud gaming setup from the living room TV to a different room or even take it on the road.

"As long as you have a solid internet connection and your compatible Fire TV Stick, and a compatible controller, you can take your Xbox Game Pass games and saved progress travels with you."

[h2]HOW TO PLAY XBOX GAMES ON AMAZON FIRE TV[/h2]
Amazon and Xbox are going to allow you to play games on Fire TV devices from July.

There are a few catches, however.

First you'll need to make sure you're using a Fire TV Stick Max (2023) or Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) or later.

Then you'll want to download the Xbox app on your Fire TV device from the Amazon Appstore.

Next sign in with your Microsoft account.

To enjoy cloud gaming, you need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member.



This not only gets you access to cloud gaming but also a vast library of on-demand video games.

If you don't have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate then you can't play.

Finally, you'll need to connect a compatible Bluetooth controller.

The Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, and Dualshock 4 controller are all compatible with the Xbox app on Amazon Fire TV.

It seems the Xbox brand is expanding somewhat, as an Xbox mobile game store is opening this coming July.

This was confirmed by President of Xbox Sarah Bond in a recent interview. According to Bond, "In July, we are going to be launching our mobile store experience. We're going to start actually by bringing our own first-party portfolio to that. So you're going to see games like Candy Crush show up in that experience, games like Minecraft. And then we're going to extend that capability to partners, so they can also take advantage of it and have a true cross-platform gaming-centric mobile experience."

Bond adds that they will start on the web, as this will allow the company to have it accessible on all countries independent of policies of closed ecosystem stores, and after which, they will extend from there.

Given how strong a foothold Apple and Google's mobile stores have on consumers, it'll be interesting to see if Microsoft's Xbox mobile store can somehow pry some of that away for their own slice of the pie.

• Microsoft has sent a survey to some customers, as reported by Twitter users who received emails from the company. The questionnaire included questions about handheld gaming gadgets, such as game installation, cloud services usage, and general impressions of these devices. Additionally, Microsoft asked about gamers' usage habits and preferences regarding device form factors.
• The survey comes amidst leaks about Microsoft's plans to release its own handheld gaming device, leading many to believe that the company is actively working on such a gadget.
• In a special edition of the podcast in February, Microsoft announced plans to make an "exciting" announcement related to Xbox by the end of 2024. Executives mentioned a "unique" device, sparking rumours of a portable Xbox.

Would you be interested in a Microsoft handhel device?

Xbox appears to be going all in on preservation, as it has set up an entire team to ensure the future of the platform.

A few years back, Xbox put a big effort into making many of its older Xbox and Xbox 360 titles playable on the Xbox One and Series X/S, a move that was welcomed by many as it made it a whole lot easier to play many classics that would otherwise have needed you lug out your old consoles you aren't even sure you had all the cables for, still. Now, as reported by Windows Central, a recent email sent by Xbox president Sarah Bond to the company's staff has shared that an entire team focused on preservation has been set up.

"We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself," wrote Bond. "We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy." According to sources that spoke with Windows Central, Microsoft is possibly going to share more on this point around its annual showcase this summer, which might also reveal Gears of War 6.

Bond also spoke of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, and new hardware, writing, "It's been nearly six months since we came together as an organisation. Our collective achievements in that timeframe are tremendous. Everyone should feel incredibly proud of what we've achieved and excited about the opportunities ahead. We are moving full speed ahead on our next generation hardware, focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation."

As always, that sounds like quite the claim, especially as a similar kind of language is used by Xbox every console upgrade, but it's not that surprising that the company is already working on a next-gen console.

Slightly frustratingly, Bond also apparently said that, "At a time when the gaming industry's growth is flattening, ours continues," despite the fact that Microsoft laid off 1900 staff members from its video game division earlier this year. But sure, growth!

Microsoft confirmed earlier this year that its annual Xbox Games Showcase would be returning in June, and though a specific date for the event has yet to be officially announced, it seems one has been set internally within the company.

That's as per The Verge's Tom Warren, who claims in a recently published report that this year's Xbox Games Showcase will happen on June 9, which is a Sunday. As per Warren, Microsoft will announce Gears 6 at the showcase, in addition to this year's Call of Duty instalment.

The next instalment in the Gears of War franchise has been in the rumour mill for some time now, with recent reports claiming that it'll be announced sometime this Summer. Meanwhile, leaks have claimed that this year's Call of Duty game, titled Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, will depict the titular conflict and feature a fully open world campaign.

Warren says previously announced first-party titles will also receive updates at the Xbox Games Showcase, including the likes of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, all of which are officially due out this year.

Today Xbox provided the second Xbox Partner Preview – a broadcast that brought new game reveals, trailers, and news from the likes of EA, Square Enix, Sega, and many more. Over the course of 30 minutes, there was brand new looks at 14 games coming to Xbox and Windows from third-party partners.



On today's broadcast you got first peeks at brand new games, like The Sinking City 2 and Creatures of Ava, a release date reveal for Frostpunk 2 and Final Fantasy XIV Online, a detailed look at the upcoming Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess — and they even snuck in a shadow drop in the form of the entire original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Trilogy, which is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S today!

Final Fantasy XIV Online Set for Full Release on March 21 for Xbox Series X|S
Square Enix treated us to a first look at the release date trailer for Final Fantasy XIV Online ahead of its full launch announcement on March 21 for Xbox Series X|S. It was also announced that a Starter Edition will be available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks for a limited time from March 21 to April 19, 2024. You can start playing Final Fantasy XIV Online today with the Open Beta which is now live on Xbox Series X|S.



Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Coming to Game Pass in 2024
Capcom delivered a detailed look at the upcoming Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, a unique single-player game set in a Japanese-inspired universe. First revealed in June last year during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, this new title from Capcom will release day one with Game Pass, as well as with Xbox Series X|S and Windows in 2024.



New Game Reveal: The Sinking City 2 Rises From the Deep
The Sinking City 2 made a world premiere appearance during the show, with a trailer showing the iconic Lovecraftian city of Arkham, and the very unpleasant sights within. The long-awaited sequel from Frogwares is evolving into a full-on horror game, as you guide a new character through the mysteries of why Arkham is flooding, and take on some of its abominable residents along the way.



Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass Announced
SEGA delivered the first exclusive details on the upcoming Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass that will allow players to dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload featuring new costumes, background music, and extended story content with Episode Aigis -The Answer.

Xbox is a company that has always been about keeping up with changing trends in the gaming industry, and 2024 is looking to exemplify that in a big way. The company has been dodging rumours for months that state the gaming giant will be opening up its doors to rival platforms, turning games that were once Microsoft exclusives into multiplatform releases. The company did not directly respond to any of these whispers until February 15, when Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, Xbox President Sarah Bond, and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty appeared on the "Official Xbox Podcast" to brief fans on the future of Xbox gaming.

As it turns out, many of the rumours are true! From expansions to other platforms to exciting releases for Game Pass, not to mention seeing "Palworld" as a guiding star, here are some of the big moves that the masterminds over at Xbox have in store for 2024. Although some of these plans are still in their early stages, it's not an exaggeration to say that the Xbox brand is about to change forever.



During the podcast appearance, Phil Spencer laid down a new vision for the gaming industry's future — one with cross-platform compatibility at its heart. In an attempt to shepherd the industry down the path of crossplay for everyone and away from the olden days of console war exclusivity, four games that were previously exclusive to Xbox and PC will be released to other platforms.

While being upfront and honest about the company's mission going forward, Spencer was not as forthcoming with the exact titles of the four games. Instead, he offered some criteria for the selected games. Namely, each of the chosen games had been out for at least one year and exemplify franchises that Xbox wants to continue investing in. He bundled two of them into a category of community-driven games and billed the other two as smaller games that deserve a wider audience. Spencer did confirm when pressed for specifics that neither of the games are "Starfield" or the upcoming "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle."

Despite the Xbox team's unwillingness to name names at this time, The Verge's inside sources say the four games are "Sea of Thieves," "Grounded," "Hi-Fi Rush," and "Pentiment." Rumour has it that some of these games will be making their way to PlayStation 5, while others will soon arrive on Nintendo Switch. Those four titles match up pretty well with the hints provided by Spencer, so fans can probably expect announcements regarding crossplay from these respective teams in the near future.

Activision Blizzard games are coming to Game Pass

"Diablo 4" is finally coming to the Xbox Game Pass on March 28. Since the landmark $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft was finalized in 2023, fans have expected Activision Blizzard's catalogue to arrive on Xbox's Game Pass service. This is a fair expectation, considering how quickly 20 Bethesda games made their way onto Game Pass following Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax Media. However, according to Phil Spencer, regulatory slowdowns are the primary cause of delays in getting Activision Blizzard's games onto Game Pass.

Alongside the confirmation of "Diablo 4," Sarah Bond reiterated, "All of our games are always in Game Pass." Matt Booty hammered this home by saying, "Game Pass will continue to only be available on Xbox platforms and will have all first-party games available on day one." Without a doubt, Xbox is committed to expanding Game Pass as a core pillar of its business. Judging by its 34 million current members, the Game Pass is working pretty well. With one of Activision Blizzard's flagship games, "Diablo 4," spearheading the company's entry into Game Pass, fans can definitely expect more quality titles coming down the pipeline in the near future.

Will Xbox be on every screen?

Sources present at an internal Xbox meeting from earlier this week tell Inverse that Sarah Bond explained the future of the Xbox brand in one succinct sentence: "Every screen is an Xbox." In other words, Microsoft is aiming for a future in which the Xbox brand is not thought of as being limited to just its home consoles. As Phil Spencer pointed out in the recent podcast, Xbox is already on consoles, mobile devices, and PC, and the company doesn't plan to stop there. In order to illustrate this concept of Xbox on every screen, "Palworld" was reportedly displayed on multiple screens in the meeting space, much to the surprise of multiple attendees.

With that in mind, it seems telling that Sarah Bond specifically mentioned "Palworld" as a recent example of a game that benefitted its creators by being on multiple platforms. "The things we do with our hardware and with our platform are all in service of making those games bigger," explained Bond, noting that the combination of a Game Pass and Steam release brought greater attention to Pocketpair and "Palworld." Clearly, "Palworld" is on Bond's mind in a big way.

Even though the main Xbox console line will remain a primary focus of the company, Bond explained that Microsoft wants to give developers and players as many options as possible. "Our developers can build to the specs of our hardware ... but they're also going to be able to be accessed across any screen, because of all the other investments we make." In other words, multiplatform diversity and the ability to access Xbox titles from any screen are major priorities for Microsoft. Players can expect this focus on diversity to be a decision-making factor for Xbox in 2024 and beyond.

New Xbox hardware on the horizon


One of the more tantalizing hints at Xbox's 2024 plans came near the end of the podcast, when Sarah Bond revealed that fans can expect some new hardware to arrive this coming holiday season. Bond stopped short of saying what this new hardware might be, but fans have some guesses. One candidate is the long-rumored Xbox Brooklin, a refresh of the Series X console that leaked during Microsoft's court case against the FCC. According to internal design documents, this upgraded (and all-digital) console would offer upgraded storage, stronger wi-fi, and a new and improved controller. Phil Spencer has previously implied that these documents might be outdated, so it's unclear if the Brooklin console is still in the works.

Others remain convinced that Xbox is finally about to get into the handheld console market. Multiple Xbox insiders have indicated that just such an announcement is imminent, and Phil Spencer recently added a bit of fuel to the fire by liking tweets mentioning Microsoft and handheld gaming. Of course, this is far from a confirmation, but releasing a portable console would definitely be an exciting way for Xbox to get a leg up on the holiday competition.