A leak of potential branding for Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Game Pass family subscription suggests you’ll be able to share a subscription with friends, too. Microsoft started testing its Xbox Game Pass family plan in Ireland and Colombia earlier this month, and now Twitter leaker Aggiornamenti Lumia has spotted “Game Pass Friends & Family” branding.
Xbox Game Pass ‘Friends & Family’ leak suggests you can share with friends
A true friend gifts you Game Pass benefits
A true friend gifts you Game Pass benefits
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.
The leak could mean Microsoft isn’t thinking about restricting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to sharing their benefits with just immediate family members. The current preview allows Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to pay €21.99 per month in Ireland (instead of the regular €12.99 per month) for an unnamed test plan that includes sharing subscription benefits with up to four others. Microsoft doesn’t currently mention a family restriction in its test plan, only that people need to be in the same country.
Microsoft currently offers Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass for $9.99 per month. Neither includes online multiplayer capabilities, but you can upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $14.99, and this unlocks Game Pass for console, PC, EA Play access, and online multiplayer.
This new family plan, that will now likely be branded Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family, will include all the same Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits for four other friends or family members. That includes access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Live, and even the PC Game Pass versions of games.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the branding leak, and we’ll update you accordingly.
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