But component supply shortages and more recently lockdowns in China have hurt Microsoft's ability to produce new consoles. The hardware business picked up steam in 2020 after Microsoft released its Xbox Series X and S consoles, and as people spent more time playing games while offices and schools were closed due to the Covid pandemic. Gaming is Microsoft's fourth-largest major product category, and the company is aiming to lure more users to its Game Pass subscription service, which costs $10 a month and includes an option for people playing on PCs and streaming via the cloud. Microsoft's biggest splash in gaming came earlier this year, when the company announced plans to buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Each country has their own requirements or limitations that Microsoft has to follow so that they can do business there.The move indicates Microsoft is focused on picking up revenue from gaming content and services, as opposed to just consoles, where the company is lagging behind Nintendo and Sony. The reasons for this are not technological, as much as they are technical. The technical requirements for cloud gaming make it still unfeasible for most parts of the world, even if gaming’s biggest markets have already been experiencing cloud gaming for years.Īnd yet Microsoft is still rolling out PC Game Pass in countries that already have Xbox and/or Steam in an official capacity.

Microsoft hasn’t been able to bring Game Pass Ultimate to most countries yet, which would enable them to also play these games on the cloud, streaming on many devices, including phones and tablets. This includes many games that released on Game Pass at the same day that they were launched, such as Hi-Fi Rush.

Microsoft also took the opportunity to remind fans of their upcoming first party games Minecraft Legends will be coming on Apand Redfall is arriving on May 2, 2023.Īs a reminder, the PC Game Pass service allows Game Pass subscribers to download and play games Microsoft has licensed into the Game Pass library. Eventually PC Game Pass will be available to 86 total countries. This preview is available for select insiders for a limited time special price. As explained in the official Xbox blog, the official rollout for these countries is already scheduled for the coming months, but this preview was scheduled for all countries to experience at the same time.

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