What you need to know
- Over the last several months, Microsoft has been testing an Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family preview plan in a handful of countries.
- This plan allowed up to five users to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for €21.99 in Ireland, or about $25 USD.
- Microsoft confirmed that the preview for this plan is ending, while the company will be evaluating feedback from the program to launch a worldwide option sometime in the future.
If you've been testing the Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family preview, you've only got a month left.
Microsoft announced on Friday (thank you to Daniel Ahearne for the tip-off) that the Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family program would be ending on Aug. 15, 2023. The plan was available as preview for users to test in a number of countries such as Ireland and Sweden.
"On August 15th, the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family preview will come to a close," Microsoft shared. "We’re excited about how the Friends & Family plan has resonated with gamers and will be evaluating the learnings to help create an offer that we can bring to more players worldwide in the future. All active members of the Friends & Family plan will receive an Xbox Game Pass offer as a thank you for participating and a way to ensure they can continue to play the games they love after the preview ends."
Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family allowed five users to all have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for about $25 a month, notable savings considering that until recently, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was available for $15 a month.
Xbox Game Pass prices recently went up, increasing the cost of an Xbox Game Pass subscription to $11 a month and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $17 a month. PC Game Pass prices remain the same at $10 per month for now.
Windows Central's take
This makes a modicum of sense, the preview plan was always meant to gather information. It's a little surprising that we don't have more details on when a Friends and Family plan will launch for everybody, but I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft needs to make some adjustments (such as to the price) for the economics to work on a wider scale.
