Microsoft could set a new precedent in enabling free online multiplayer gaming for the Xbox family of consoles. | Source: Shutterstock.com
- Jeff Grub has claimed that Xbox will be doing away with the need for a Gold subscription to play games online.
- If this is true, it’ll make the Xbox Series X the only next-gen machine without an online gaming subscription.
- This could be Xbox’s most significant power move in the next-gen console wars.
Online gaming is a massive part of modern gaming culture, considering that an average gamer spends three days of their life playing online . The Xbox Series X appears to be trying to lean heavily into this fact.
According to leaker Jeff Grub , Microsoft will soon be doing away with the need to have an Xbox gold subscription to play online.
This could be the most significant power move in Xbox’s next-gen arsenal.
Free Online Gaming Is Rare on Consoles These Days
Free online play is a hallmark of PC gaming and has been for years. With the Xbox Series X seemingly trying to stray closer to PC Gaming, offering free online play is a big step in the direction.
Removing the need for a subscription to play online is also a big message to both Nintendo and Sony. In the previous generation, Microsoft was the outlier in charging for online gaming, but that didn’t leave competing platforms with any significant advantage .
In the current-gen, paying for online play has become the standard for the entire industry. At this stage, if the Xbox Series X doesn’t require pay-to-play for online features – it’s a telling message from Xbox to the gaming community: We’re here to let you play.
Watch: Free Xbox Gold Explained
The Xbox Series X Could Be the Go-To Console for a Lot of People
The Xbox Series X could be the console for the masses. It offers a lot of advantages over other consoles for both casual and hardcore gamers.
Game Pass gives players an out-of-the-box library, something that neither Nintendo nor Sony seems ready to offer just yet. Free online gaming would only be the icing on the Xbox Series X cake, especially for parents of younger, online-focused, gamers on a budget.
Whether or not this new move will see returns for Microsoft or not is still a mystery. If previous console generations have shown anything, it’s just how unpredictable the so-called ‘console wars’ can be . One thing’s for sure, Xbox knows what they want to do, and they’re upfront about how they intend to do it.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
