Several days ago, rumors surfaced online about the possibility that Microsoft will be phasing out Xbox Live Gold soon. This leak came from reputable insider Jeff Grubb who said that he is only reiterating the same claim he made last year that Xbox Live Gold is going away soon.
However, it is worth noting thatMicrosoft did respond to rumors last yearsaying that there are no plans to phase out Xbox Live Gold just yet. Although it is yet to be seen how Microsoft will respond to the re-emergence of the rumor, the prospect of shutting down Xbox Live Gold actually makes sense.
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Xbox Live Gold Has Become More Lackluster
For the past several months,the quality and value of Free Xbox Games with Gold have been put into question. Every month, players would usually get two Xbox One games and two Xbox 360 games, and almost all of the games offered in recent years are niche titles. In comparison, players on PS Plus usually get at least one major title from the monthly roster of free games, and since November of last year, one PS5 game has been a staple in PS Plus' free games.
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Microsoft is Pushing Xbox Game Pass as the Future of Xbox Gaming
At this point, it is obvious thatMicrosoft is now slowly seeing itself more as a service provider rather than a traditional console manufacturer. At E3 2021 last month, Microsoft highlighted all the partnerships and acquisitions it has established with third-party developers such as Bethesda, and the many games that are set to be released on Xbox Game Pass day-one.
While Xbox Game Pass still hasn’t reached its full potential, it is apparent that Microsoft is using the service to transition the company from a gaming hardware manufacturer to primarily a service provider. True enough,the future of Xbox Game Pass looks brightwith everything Microsoft has promised so far, which is why it makes sense for Microsoft to shut down Xbox Live Gold. Even if Xbox consoles will still sell to fans, the gaming subscription offerings are Xbox’s new focus.
