Microsoft may be working on an ad-supported Xbox Game Pass tier

A recent hypothetical survey could hint at the possibility of an ad-supported version of the Xbox Game Pass tier in the future.

Earlier this week, Resetera user Almalexia shared screenshots of an apparently Spanish inquiry from Microsoft asking about Xbox’s Game Pass service (spotted by Windows Central). The survey seems to be looking to gather feedback on the cheaper tier that costs $3 per month, but of course there are some caveats. One of these could be the inclusion of ads when launching the game before you can play it.

You can still play EA Access games and Xbox first-party titles, but you’ll also have to wait six months after they release to play them. The ad tier will still include online multiplayer access, so while you’ll have to watch some ads, you’ll still be able to play Call of Duty with a headset.

Obviously, that sounds like an unbelievably low price for Microsoft to even make money. The trade-off is having to watch ads, though by comparison, in France, Netflix’s ad tier costs $6 per month, double the cost of the Xbox ad tier. But it’s also just a survey and doesn’t necessarily represent final pricing, it’s just to understand people’s main perception of the advertising tier.

We’ll have to wait to hear more, but the broader plan shouldn’t be surprising, since we know Xbox will launch a Game Pass family plan in the future. In the meantime, Xbox really needs to get more first-party titles on the service, and its absence from The Game Awards was noted — though it has promised plenty to look forward to in 2023.