Xbox Game Pass Is Finally Available at Retail in India: Report
Xbox Game Pass membership codes are finally available at retail. First reported by games analyst and former Gadgets360 Gaming Editor Rishi Alwani, Game Pass Ultimate digital codes can now be purchased from Amazon India, and they’re a bit cheaper when compared to purchasing from Microsoft’s official website because of additional taxes. If purchasing from Amazon, you will only be charged the default price — Rs. 499 — for a one-month membership, granting access to hundreds of high-quality games on both console and PC, an EA Play membership, and Xbox Live Gold allowing for online multiplayer. Cloud gaming is also included in the package. Amazon is also offering a three-month subscription, costing Rs. 1,499. Reminder: these are all digital codes, which should be sent to your email once the order is processed.
For keyboard and mouse-only purists, PC Game Pass is also available on Amazon India, albeit in a three-month variant, costing Rs. 1,049. As the title suggests, this is exclusive to PC but offers similar content in terms of same-day game launch for Xbox Games Studios titles as the normal, paid release, EA Play, and exclusive member discounts.
Unlike consoles, you don’t need subscriptions to enable online multiplayer on PC, so that’s not included here. You might notice Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions on Flipkart as well, but they’re fulfilled by third-party retailers — not officially Xbox. Additionally, third-party sellers generally increase the prices for Game Pass anyway, so you might want to avoid that.
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Late last month, Microsoft put an end to its $1 trial for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which allowed gamers to test out the service for a month. In India, the trial cost Rs. 50, and would then default to the standard rate of Rs. 499 per month. “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,” Kari Perez, global communications head, Xbox told The Verge in a prepared statement. For now, it is unclear what the new promotional ideas are, but leaves a sour taste given the cheap trial feature has been available for years.
Microsoft also expanded its Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan to six new regions, following its initial rollout in Ireland and Colombia, last year. The service is now available in New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Hungary, Israel, and Sweden.
The feature allows users to share their Game Pass subscription with up to four additional people (five in total) in a gaming circle, as long as they reside within the same country. This is a massive perk when compared to services such as Spotify, which asks users to enter and confirm their home addresses for Duo and Family plans. The primary account holder will be responsible for adding members to the group and making payments on time. This also allows users to split the bill and access a plethora of games on Xbox.
Currently, there is no word on when the service will hit other regions like India, the US, and the UK. For pricing context, Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family cost €21.99 (about Rs. 1,981) per month in Ireland.
A one-month Xbox Game Pass subscription costs Rs. 499 per month, offering access to games on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. It is now available on Amazon at MRP.
