Overview
- Fortune reported Tuesday that new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is planning to replace preset Game Pass tiers with a cheaper base plan plus paid add‑ons for features such as cloud streaming, online multiplayer, and console‑only game access.
- The overhaul is described in a Fortune interview and summarized by other outlets, but key details — including exact prices, which games would move behind paywalls, and how day‑one releases would be handled — remain unconfirmed.
- Reporting links the proposed pricing change to a broader strategy that includes roughly 3,200 planned job cuts and two new hardware projects: a handheld expected in 2027 and a Project Helix console targeted for 2028.
- Supporters say à la carte options could let cost‑sensitive users pay less by skipping features they do not use, while critics warn the plan could push heavier users to pay much more or reduce day‑one access to first‑party titles.
- The shift responds to stalled subscriber growth and past experiments such as ad‑supported tiers and Call of Duty’s exit from day‑one inclusion, and its final form will hinge on Microsoft’s pricing choices and public confirmation.