On Tuesday, Microsoft launched the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. For $15 a month, the new tier includes online multiplayer access for consoles, access to hundreds of games in the Game Pass library and up to 50% off the purchase of some non-Game Pass games.

Microsoft announces the second wave of September 2024 Xbox Game Pass additions, which includes several day-one releases and one surprise console port.

Xbox Game Pass has long been the key differentiator for Microsoft's gaming business, offering an alternative subscription-based store against Steam on PC, and offering heaps of value on console against PlayStation with its day-one games pledge. That covenant has been undone now, though.

Microsoft is launching its Xbox Game Pass Standard tier today. After briefly testing it with Xbox Insiders last month, the new $14.99 per month Game Pass Standard subscription is launching with the usual Game Pass library for Xbox and online console multiplayer access,

Microsoft has officially rolled out Game Pass Standard, the Netflix-like subscription service’s new middle tier, and with it revealed which games will and won’t be included at the start. Among those missing are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,

There is another caveat, that Microsoft has seemingly arbitrarily picked a few dozen games, many of them big titles, that are not included in Xbox Game Pass Standard,