Microsoft préparerait le remplacement du Xbox Live Gold par le Xbox Game Pass Core à partir de septembre 2023

Microsoft is reportedly preparing to replace Xbox Live Gold with Xbox Game Pass Core, a new subscription, starting from September 9, 2023.

We have been writing on Frandroid for several years that Microsoft offers both the best video game subscription with Xbox Game Pass and the worst with Xbox Live Gold.

This historic Xbox subscription brings in a lot of revenue but seems completely outdated in 2023. It allows access to Xbox Live servers from an Xbox console, which is free if you play from a competing console, a PC, a smartphone, or through cloud gaming. It also provides access to monthly games, similar to PlayStation Plus, but Microsoft has not offered interesting titles for a long time.

After 21 years in the market, Xbox Live Gold is finally going to disappear before the end of the year. A rumor predicts the arrival of Xbox Game Pass Core on September 9, 2023, to replace it and simplify the range of Xbox services. The name suggests a desire to offer a more affordable price, similar to the Xbox 360 Core in its time.

A Mini Game Pass

This new subscription would be offered at 9.99 euros per month, which is the same monthly price as the current Xbox Live Gold. It was possible to lower the bill by subscribing to multiple months at once, up to 12 months for 60 euros. The rumor does not say if this option will be retained. Microsoft does not offer decreasing prices for Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass Core would include some advantages of the current Xbox Live Gold, such as the ability to play online on Xbox Live or receive discounts in the Xbox Store. As Game Pass implies, subscribers would also have access to a small game catalog.

As some rumors suggested, this catalog would mainly include games developed by Microsoft Studios on which the company holds all the rights. Here is the list of games that would be available at launch:

• Among Us;
• Downhill;
• Dishonored 2;
• DOOM Eternal;
• Fable Anniversary;
• Fallout 4;
• Fallout 76;
• Forza Horizon 4;
• Gears 5;
• Grounded;
• Halo 5: Guardians;
• Halo Wars 2;
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice;
• Human Fall Flat;
• Inside;
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps;
• Psychonauts 2;
• State of Decay 2;
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

The company also aims to expand its catalog in the coming months. The games “offered” as part of Xbox Live Gold and registered on the Xbox account would still be accessible, but the offer would no longer include the addition of new Live Gold games. Xbox Live Gold subscribers would be automatically switched to Xbox Game Pass Core.

A Troubling Detail

On paper, the rumor seems very credible. It is consistent with Microsoft’s strategy, which analysts have been anticipating for a long time, and it is accompanied by illustrative images that match the company’s codes. The increase in the price of Xbox Game Pass has also created room for this new subscription. The rumor mentions Windows Central as the source, but the link leads to a missing page at the time this article is being written.

However, there is one element that seems strange. In the comparative table shared for this rumor, it can be seen that access to online gaming is only integrated into Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

This is logical if we think of it as a replacement for Xbox Live Gold, but it seems strange for a new subscriber. This means that to subscribe to the complete Xbox Game Pass and have access to online gaming, one has to subscribe to two different Xbox Game Pass subscriptions: the core version and the console version. Microsoft will probably recommend upgrading to the Ultimate version. But it is strange not to have integrated online gaming into Xbox Game Pass Console.

One thing is certain, if Microsoft includes Diablo IV or Call of Duty in this Core subscription focused on multiplayer, the company could gather a large number of subscriptions.

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