Microsoft announced the launch of the Xbox Game Pass Standard plan today, alongside a price increase for the Ultimate tier. The Standard plan costs $15 a month and offers essential features such as online multiplayer gaming, access to a large game library, and discounts on select purchases. However, Standard members will not have day-one access to blockbuster releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The wait time for these titles on Standard can be up to 12 months or longer. Ultimate plans include EA Play membership and Xbox Cloud Gaming access. With Xbox struggling to compete with PlayStation, the Game Pass plan is crucial for generating revenue, especially as reports indicate just 34 million subscribers as of February. This comes as Microsoft also recently released an underwhelming console refresh, while Sony built hype for its expensive new PS5 Pro.
