Xbox Game Pass newcomers have previously been able to take the service for a month-long spin for just $1. Well, no more. Xbox has confirmed its $1 for a month of Game Pass introductory deal has now ended as it explores other ways to get people to hop aboard its game library's bandwagon.
“We have stopped our previous introductory offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass and are evaluating different marketing promotions for new members in the future,” Xbox's head of global communications told The Verge. What those new marketing promotions will be has not been divulged, though it does seem likely if there's going to be an offer that replaces the $1 for your first month, it will be connected to Game Pass's Friends & Family plan.
Xbox has already started to roll out its new Friends & Family plan which allows up to five people to share a subscription for around $24 per month. While the plan is already available in markets such as Ireland and New Zealand, it hasn't yet been rolled out in the US, UK, and most of Europe. The $1 deal disappearing may well be an indicator that the new plan is ready to launch in all markets where Game Pass is currently available.
After getting your first month of Game Pass for $1, subscribers then have to pay $9.99 per month, or $14.99 per month for Game Pass Ultimate. That means if you have at least two other people who would be willing to share a Friends & Family subscription with you, the new package will be worthwhile. It doesn't even appear to limit you to sharing with people in the same house like Netflix is trying to do, although you will all have to live in the same country.
Xbox had a quiet year in 2022, but 2023 is already shaping up to be a far better one for Game Pass subscribers. Starfield will launch on the service day one on September 6, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be available on August 18. Valheim and Hi-Fi Rush have already been added to Game Pass this year, but those of you hoping to see Diablo 4 on there when it gets its full launch are going to be disappointed.