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- Xbox Game Pass reached 34 million subscribers this year.
- This figure includes Game Pass Core(formerly Xbox Live Gold) subscribers.
- PS Plus had around 47.4 million subscribers by the end of March 2023.
- Therefore, the Xbox subscription seems to be trailing by around 10-13 million subscribers despite the new figure announced this month.
Xbox and Sony both focus on their gaming subscription since they serve as major sources of revenue and earnings for the console ecosystem. Xbox offers day-one releases through Game Pass, while PlayStation has its own unique set of benefits.
With Microsoft’s recent announcement of 34 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers, both gaming giants now count all three tiers of their service as part of the total figure. This makes it easier to compare Game Pass with PS Plus, but the latter still ends up ahead.
Why it matters: Xbox has been offering AAA day-one titles on its service, making it a core aspect of the business. Therefore, it is disappointing to see the large gap in subscribers.
PlayStation Plus grew to 47.4 million subscribers at the end of March 2023.
This is an increase of 1 million subscribers from the Q3 period. pic.twitter.com/8wGEpHty6i
— Derek Strickland (@DeekeTweak) April 28, 2023
By the end of March 2023, PS Plus had reached 47.4 million subscribers when counting all three tiers. This figure has not been updated since, but it has likely stayed consistent at around 45 million.
Accounting for a few losses, PlayStation’s service still ends up ahead. The Game Pass figures are surprising, considering this service has access to the PC gaming market, which is bigger than both consoles combined.
Meanwhile, PlayStation has been dominating the competition by selling more consoles. PS4 has sold over 100 million consoles last generation, and the PS5 had already sold 50 million units by the end of 2023.
This leaves PlayStation with a much bigger user base to target. Even though Game Pass is on PC, most subscribers come from the basic tiers mandatory for online gameplay, which are limited to consoles.
Sony offered $8000 worth of games on PS Plus in 2023. Similarly, Xbox offered $9000 worth of games on its service. Therefore, both subscriptions were valuable to their users.
Xbox is now focused on expanding its offerings, recently confirming Diablo 4’s arrival on 28th March.
Call of Duty 2024 is also expected to be released at launch on the Xbox subscription services. While the other Call of Duty games have yet to appear, they are expected for Game Pass as well.
On the other hand, PlayStation’s plans for PS Plus remain unknown since Sony seems more focused on consistency rather than expansion, with its subscription ahead by a significant margin.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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