Microsoft has provided new data on its Xbox services and subscriptions, witnessing "all-time record engagement," amid the ongoing global pandemic. That comes with the steady growth of Xbox Live active users and paying Xbox Game Pass subscribers, reported via its latest Q3 financials.
While Microsoft's overall quarterly gaming revenue stayed flat, declining one percent year-over-year, the company sees the continued success of its Xbox Live gaming network and Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Speaking on Microsoft's FY20 Q3 earnings call on April 29, CEO Satya Nadella confirmed Xbox Live active users now near 90 million users, serving as a gateway to its digital gaming portfolio, and communication hub during an era of social distancing. Redmond has skirted Xbox Live active users counts in recent reports, with firm numbers last shared back in FY19 Q4, totaling 65 million. The latest figures demonstrate an estimated 42 percent increase in Xbox Live population year-over-year.
Xbox Game Pass, its Netflix-style service for games on Xbox One and Windows 10, has also surpassed 10 million subscribers. It's the first time Microsoft has provided hard Xbox Game Pass figures, demonstrating a shifting internal attitude toward the value of the service.
Microsoft has positioned the subscription as a high-value package for Xbox veterans and newcomers, featuring a rotating library over 300 titles across the two platforms. That includes the arrival of in-house and third-party heavyweights like Red Dead Redemption 2, coupled with alluring entry-level plans from just $1.
And while Project xCloud, Microsoft's ongoing Xbox game streaming technical trials, remain locked to closed testers, Nadella states hundreds of thousands of users are now onboard the service. That includes coverage in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Korea, currently expanding further into Europe.
Microsoft recently reported $35 billion in company-wide revenue for FY20 Q3, up 15 percent over the same period last year, despite struggles tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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