Microsoft's Game Pass for Xbox One has become a popular service. Users can subscribe to Game Pass for $9.99 per month and have access to hundreds of Xbox One and Xbox 365 titles. Microsoft has confirmed Game Pass is a success and it seems Google is now exploring its own version of this idea, called “Play Pass”.
Google will differentiate Play Pass from Xbox Game Pass by aiming to deliver more content. In fact, the solution is closer to Apple's Arcade game subscription service, which was launched earlier this year.
Google Play Pass will allow subscribers to access games from the Play Store, but it will also let them use premium apps without having to purchase them. Android Police has discovered some images that look like upcoming promotion shots for Play Pass.
Furthermore, the content has the following blurb:
“Explore a curated catalog spanning puzzle games to premium music apps and everything in between. From action hits to puzzles and fitness trackers, with Google Play Pass you unlock access to hundreds of premium apps and games without ads, download fees or in-app purchases.”
In Testing
Google responded to the leak by confirming it is now testing Play Pass internally. Traditionally, spending patterns tend to be lower on Google Play compared to the Apple App Store. By allowing users to receive apps as part of a wider subscription, Google could increase income from those applications.
However, as this is limited to Google Play, Play Pass will not offer triple A games like Xbox Game Pass. In testing, Play Pass costs $4.99, which translates to $60 each year. With so many apps moving to the freemium model, we wonder how many people actually spend $60 each year on paid apps. Would being able to download as many apps as they want help to change their spending habits?
