Xbox CEO hints at more Game Pass flexibility

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has confirmed that new, more flexible Game Pass subscription options are coming this summer, a signal that Microsoft is not done reshaping its gaming business after a turbulent stretch of price changes, declining revenue and subscriber losses.

Speaking in an interview with Fortune Conversations, Sharma said Xbox will be "doing more this summer to create more flexible offerings that meet the needs of all types of players".

While no details were mentioned on what these offerings would be, the announcement has sparked speculations surrounding the alleged "Starter" version of Game Pass, which was rumoured to include a bundle with Discord Nitro at a reduced price point, based on leaked information which has not been verified as of now.

Game Pass is available on four plans: the Essential plan ($9.99/month), the PC plan, the Premium plan, and the Ultimate plan ($22.99/month). Previously, Game Pass had been struggling for more than eight months until recently when there has been growth in the service, which Sharma claimed was due to the reduction of prices in April.

This comeback did come at a price, though, since the upcoming instalments in the Call of Duty series will no longer be available on day one through the revamped subscription pricing plan.

While she had plans beyond the subscription model, Sharma did suggest that Microsoft was investigating possible alternative business models for its hardware, saying that the industry simply couldn’t keep supporting the thousands of dollars being spent per gaming generation by mass audiences.

"Really radically different business models may happen this year," added Sharma, whose statements acquire a special meaning due to Microsoft's development of the next-gen console codenamed Project Helix.