Microsoft has stopped its $1 trial offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The trial version has been available for years, with brief periods when it wasn’t always available in certain markets, and now it looks like Microsoft is considering new promotions instead.
“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,” says Kari Perez, director of global communications for Xbox, in a statement to the edge.
The $1 trial has allowed people to sign up for Xbox Game Pass for a month, before the full Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription starts at $14.99 per month or $9.99 per month for PC-only subscriptions or console. It’s been a great way to recommend the service to a friend or family member, but now we’ll have to wait and see what these “different marketing promotions” are for new members.
Microsoft has also been working on its Friends & Family plan for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The plan allows you to share the benefits of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with up to four friends or family members. The price in Ireland is set at €21.99 per month (almost $24), which is less than $5 per person.
Microsoft expanded this Friends & Family plan to New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Hungary, Israel, and Sweden recently, but it’s not yet available in many European markets or the UK and US. This $1 trial removal could be a sign that Microsoft is preparing to expand Friends & Family even further, after testing this new subscription for less than a year.
