In the last few days everyone has been talking about the introduction of the Ubisoft + service in Xbox Game Pass. This topic, which hasn’t really been new for a few months, is still gaining momentum after Xbox-World made the list of the top ten rumors on the Xbox side. It includes the acquisition of Sega, the already secure acquis ition of two new studios, and thus the inclusion of Ubisoft’s subscription service in the Game Pass catalog. And if this is all just a rumor, then several media outlets have decided to pass this topic on. As a result, the hallway noise has already come true for some. So, the arrival of Ubisoft + in Xbox Game Pass, believable?
Let’s be clear, this merger was believable back in September, and it still is today. It may be more after Jez Corden claims to have had various pieces of information along these lines. The Windows Central journalist, Xbox specialist, has proven its sources in the past. He could only test xCloud on the PC, but was also the cause of the Xbox Series X | price leak S last August. In short, the man is the most reliable and we can only do him credit. However, such a deal raises many questions.
Ubisoft + in Xbox Game Pass, plausible?
The French publishing service now offers almost the entire Ubisoft catalog only on the PC at a price of $ 14.99 per month. It contains all messages in exchange for a fixed monthly payment with no obligation. The format is therefore very similar and perfectly compatible with that of Xbox Game Pass.
Unlike EA Play, however, Ubisoft + does not have a console counterpart. The subscription is only available on PC and includes only Xbox Game P ass for PC and the Ultimate version. Ubisoft and Microsoft, which are already available in this form to a large part of the subscribers, could also develop a console version in order to reach the entire XGP public. A guess for the moment, but it could make sense in this configuration.
Another question: the price. EA Play integrated Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (console only) last November and will be available on PC at no additional cost in 2021. However, this is in fact the American publisher’s entry-level service. That is, the one that includes the back catalog (the vault, editor’s note) and not the latest versions. A subscription that is available independently at a cost of $ 3.99 per month or $ 24.99 per year. In comparison, the EA Play Pro is exclusively available on PC and offers access to all of Electronic Arts’ games at a price of $ 14.99 per month. Either the same as the one from Ubisoft + which doesn’t offer a cheaper version. If the service is available in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it is very unlikely that it will be available at no additional cost.
Bridges between offers from publishers?
Should there ultimately be a merger between Microsoft and Ubisoft, this could also be done with a view to bridging the offers and not in the form of an integration. According to Phil Spencer, Xbox plans to vary the proposals for its flagship subscription. Like Amazon Luna, which offers the option to subscribe to a publisher’s catalog, the Xbox Game Pass could therefore offer to subscribe to third-party offers in the form of a chain for a few dollars more. An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate that Ubisoft + is added to for around $ 20 per month could be very tempting!
As you will understand, at the moment there is nothing official or concrete about this rumor. Nothing has changed since September last year, and we can easily imagine Microsoft speaking to many players in the market. The arrival of Ubisoft + as part of the Xbox Game Pass is therefore largely credible under certain conditions. But it will be necessary to wait again for confirmation or rejection.
