It’s hard to shake the feeling that I’ve been here before, singing the praises of Xbox Game Pass. Yet, this time around, there’s an unmistakable shift in the air.
Rewind to last winter—Xbox was riding a wave of positive vibes heading into the holiday season. This was the first time Call of Duty launched directly onto Xbox Game Pass, and the brand started seeing solid reviews thanks to exclusives like Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
Back then, I observed that Xbox had all the right elements lined up for a stellar 2025. With titles such as Avowed, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and South of Midnight penciled in for release, the future looked promising. Now, as we find ourselves in spring 2025, we can see that Xbox’s detailed planning is paying off handsomely.
This comes alongside a thought-provoking comment from Xbox head Phil Spencer: “Xbox Game Pass isn’t for everyone.” Despite the abundance of content, could there be a ceiling to this success?
A closer look at Xbox’s strategy suggests big things. They’re expanding their footprint to other platforms, including the previously unthinkable—PlayStation. This move has prompted a lot of chatter.
Something for everyone is more than just a cliché here. Escaping the echo chambers crafted by algorithms can reveal a lot about how gamers feel. Sure, Xbox has its share of critics, but even amid the noise, Xbox Game Pass is thriving with an estimated 34 million subscribers. Microsoft aims for 100 million by 2030, a daunting task, but the effort they’re putting in is palpable.
In just the span of a month, Xbox Game Pass has rolled out an unprecedented amount of content, features, and perks. Among the releases are DOOM: The Dark Ages and Towerborne. We’ve seen third-party gems like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince make their debuts. The much-loved Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has joined the mix, alongside classics like Diablo 3 and Grand Theft Auto V. Plus, there’s a fresh array of perks for free-to-play titles, and Xbox Cloud Gaming has even made its way onto LG smart TVs.
Honestly, the sheer variety offered is staggering. Although Xbox fans have traditionally supported Game Pass, even staunch critics are now taking notice and offering praise. The arrival of Oblivion, in particular, seems to have triggered a nostalgic wave that’s pushing Xbox Game Pass into the spotlight.
If reaching 100 million subscribers is still on Microsoft’s to-do list, this newfound enthusiasm could be the ticket they need to break into the mainstream zeitgeist.
I was somewhat critical of Microsoft’s decision to release Oblivion alongside other big titles like Towerborne and Clair Obscure all at once. Maybe that was a narrow viewpoint. Sure, Oblivion, Clair Obscure, and DOOM have overlapping appeals, but they each offer something unique, not just in genre, but in gameplay experiences. Games like Clair Obscure are well-suited for cloud gaming, making them ideal for the lower-power gaming devices popping up everywhere.
While gamers tend to stick to their favorites, Xbox Game Pass is quietly broadening the horizons of how we play, offering diversity not just in genre but in platforms and methods of play. Yet, conversations about Game Pass still largely revolve around its content.
The buzz around an Oblivion remaster effectively silenced any naysayers and seemed to have bolstered Xbox Game Pass’s standing. With game prices soaring elsewhere, Game Pass is becoming an increasingly appealing option for value-seekers.
Can Xbox Game Pass hit that ambitious 100 million subscriber mark by 2030? As entertainment forms like social media and streaming outpace gaming in growth, Microsoft and PlayStation are pushing into PC markets to find new growth avenues.
Currently, there’s a mind-boggling amount of content on Xbox. If it was exclusive to Xbox consoles, competition between titles might be problematic, especially when stock issues are evident. The Xbox Series X, for example, is perpetually in and out of stock.
Facing stock shortages, Microsoft has had to explore newer platforms more aggressively than PlayStation, and both companies are expected to introduce portable consoles akin to the Switch as part of next-gen hardware. Cloud gaming is also a shared focus for these giants.
With Xbox moving away from strict exclusivity, could Game Pass itself become the platform’s “exclusive” appeal? As premium game prices rise, Game Pass offers an enticing alternative. It might just be the nostalgia-packed surprises and content overload needed to capture the market.
As Phil Spencer noted recently, Game Pass isn’t meant for everyone. But hitting that 100-million-user milestone would arguably require widening its embrace. And with its varied content and unique perks, Xbox seems to be doing just that.
With Game Pass firing on all cylinders, its expansion is fascinating to watch. It seems like it’s hit a new level of public awareness—even with half the calendar year still to go. It’s thrilling to think of what lies ahead.
