Download and play at will a hundred premium video games for 12.99 euros per month.
Available since 2017 on Xbox consoles and 2019 on PC, Microsoft's Game Pass service has attracted 18 million subscribers in 41 countries, with growth of 50% over the year 2020. The American giant now intends to multiply this figure by removing the requirement to have an Xbox console or high-end PC to access Game Pass.
"
We have a major role to play in the democratization of video games,
" says Satya Nadella, general manager of the Microsoft group.
To read also: Phil Spencer (Xbox): "It is not the number of consoles sold that counts"
Microsoft announces this Thursday that, in the coming weeks, the Game Pass will work on any computer, smartphone and tablet connected at very high speed, including iPhone and iPad.
All you have to do is go from a web browser (Edge, Chrome, Safari) to the service's site to start playing without downloading.
It doesn't matter if the device used is old or entry-level: everything will depend on the quality of the Internet connection.
"A low-cost laptop PC will allow you to play Halo with the highest graphics performance
,
" said
Kareem Choudhry, director of cloud gaming.
This small revolution will be based on streaming applied to video games, a technology developed by Microsoft thanks to its Azure cloud.
The Game Pass will work on Xbox consoles, PCs, tablets, mobiles or Microsoft smart TVs
Play on TV without a console
The American giant also wants to conquer television screens by removing the constraint of having to buy an Xbox console.
It announces that it is in the process of forging partnerships with manufacturers of connected televisions so that the Game Pass is part of the range of services integrated into these screens in the same way as a Netflix or a Disney +.
"
You will only need a controller to start playing,
" said Liz Hamren, head of gaming experience and platforms at Microsoft.
The non-owners of Smart TV are not forgotten.
Microsoft unveils work on the design of a box to plug into his television, on the model of an Apple TV or a Chromecast, to be able to access the Game Pass on the main screen of his living room.
To make its offer as accessible as possible, Microsoft reveals that it is working with telecom operators who will be able to offer Game Pass in their packages.
The prices of the service should also be adapted according to the country, in order to be in line with the purchasing power of consumers.
Microsoft's calculation is straightforward.
Three billion people play video games in one way or another across the world.
But only 250 million homes are equipped with a recent console, and as many with a high-end PC.
The margin for growth in the premium gaming market is therefore enormous, especially outside North America and Western Europe.
“
Until now, you had to spend hundreds of dollars on a high-end console or PC to access video games.
The cloud will allow us to remove these financial barriers all over the world,
”said Phil Spencer, director of gaming.
The next Xboxes in the works
Google has tried to establish itself in the cloud gaming market with its Stadia offer.
But the latter flopped because of a poor choice of pricing policy - you have to buy your games individually - and a disappointing catalog.
Microsoft has invested in creation by acquiring some fifteen development studios over the past three years.
Their new features directly integrate the Game Pass.
“
Our ultimate goal is to release an exclusive game every quarter to feed our service,
” says Matt Booty, director of Xbox Game Studios.
The group will present its next productions on Sunday at 7 p.m. during a conference broadcast on the internet.
Read also: Video games: Microsoft is savoring its marriage to Bethesda
This offensive towards cloud gaming does not mean that Microsoft is abandoning the game console market to Sony and Nintendo.
"
We are already working seriously on our next Xbox, which will not be released for several years,
" reveals Liz Hamren.
Phil Spencer drives home the point: “
the consoles will be around for a long time to come.
"
The cloud strategy, which will allow the market to be extended to new countries, “
will not be easy to implement and will take time.
But we believe that only Microsoft has the capacity to succeed in bringing the joys of video games to everyone thanks to its global size, its technical innovations, its financial resources, and its decades of gaming experience
, ”he concludes.