Microsoft are ramping things up before launching the new Xbox Series X, and this has led to some surprising decisions regarding Xbox Live Gold and the Xbox One X.
It has now been confirmed by the tech giant that they have intentionally removed the Xbox Live Gold 12-Month subscription option from the Microsoft Store.
Xbox revealed the news to TrueAchievements, without providing much of an explanation on why they had made the decision.
The Spokesperson revealed that Xbox had removed the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store, and that customers “can still sign up for a one month or three month Xbox Live Gold subscription online.”
Why the action has been taken has not been explained and this was lead to a mass of speculation among gamers leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X.
We already know that Microsoft is changing its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundle to include Project xCloud, so it will be interesting to find out if other stuff is being planned too.
Could we see a complete revamp of the subscriptions offered by Microsoft in the future? It certainly seems possible with a next-gen shift.
And speaking of console changes, it’s also been confirmed this week that Microsoft are discontinuing the Xbox One X.
There have been reports surfacing of issues sourcing Microsoft consoles, and this would make sense if the company were planning to end production on certain versions.
The news shared this week covers both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, both of which have been on the market for a limited time.
What makes this announcement different from the one concerning Xbox Live Gold is that Microsoft has provided a reason why.
This includes the tech giant prioritising the launch of the Xbox Series X, which has a release date set for Holiday 2020.
The good news is that production of the Xbox One series of consoles is not completely ending, as the Xbox One S will remain available.
This console will remain in production to the point where Microsoft will still be able to fill demand worldwide.
Microsoft revealed the new to The Verge, telling the media outlet: “As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition
“Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally.”
Microsoft has yet to confirm how much the Xbox Series X will cost, or the exact date it will be available to purchase online and in stores.
Analysts are expecting some kind of shortage of stock due to the current global situation, which has impacted production levels.
However, a lot will rely on what happens in the coming months and what release date the tech giant has planned.
But even if you’re not planning on upgrading to the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has committed to launching its first-party games on current Xbox One hardware.
That means you’ll still be able to play the likes of Halo Infinite on a newly purchased Xbox One S in 2020 and beyond.
A message from Xbox Chief, Phil Spencer, confirmed as much this week, telling fans: “You won’t be forced into the next generation. We want every Xbox player to play all the new games from Xbox Game Studios.
“That’s why Xbox Game Studios titles we release in the next couple of years—like Halo Infinite—will be available and play great on Xbox Series X and Xbox One. We won’t force you to upgrade to Xbox Series X at launch to play Xbox exclusives.”
SOURCES: TrueAchievements – The Verge