Could a cheaper Cloud-only Xbox Game Pass tier help Microsoft win back fans?

After raising Xbox Game Pass prices September 2024 onwards, Microsoft has come under fire from both the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and its player base, who have deemed having to pay extra for a service they have been enjoying thus far, anti-consumer. According to Jez Corden of Microsoft Insider, however, a solution may be in the works. The Xbox company will allegedly dish out a new Cloud-exclusive tier for Xbox Game Pass in the future.

This will supposedly be cheaper than the Ultimate option aimed at those who do not own an Xbox console. This sounds good on paper, but may not be in execution. Here's why.

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Cloud-only Xbox Game Pass tier may not be feasible for everyone

Here's what Jez Corden of Microsoft Insider had to say about this information:

"I've heard that Microsoft is working towards a cloud-only version of its subscription that would be cheaper and more approachable to buy than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This would be designed around users who simply aren't interested in buying an Xbox console, which could include competing console platform players. It could also be for users who don't like the upfront costs of owning any console whatsoever."

This makes sense given how hard Microsoft has pushed its Cloud service over the years by including it in the current Game Pass tiers. However, it has not yet caught on like other services, such as Nvidia Geforce NOW. As a result, it makes sense for them to have a new tier solely dedicated to Cloud gaming that interested players can check out.

While specifics on it are scarce, we assume it will allow all Game Pass services, including the library and perks, but titles will have to be played via the internet. So in other words, while fans currently enjoy downloading the games to their PC or console to play natively, subscribing to this will instead call for accessing a streamed version of the game from its servers.

While this does eliminate the need for downloading titles in an era with ballooning game file sizes, the key problem of accessibility persists. The company has over 140 data centers around the globe. However, not everyone is going to have a solid experience across the board as playability wholly depends on the user's internet speed (plus their region's internet infrastructure) and their distance from the nearest data center - not to mention service availability to begin with.

Taken as a whole, it does seem like a step forward followed by a step backward. So, to answer the question of Microsoft winning back fans, it sounds like a clear "No." Then again, perhaps the company has something up its sleeves to make this deal more enticing. We will have to wait and see how things turn out, especially in light of the upcoming Xbox Game Pass price hikes.