Subscription Services Like Game Pass Won’t Replace Owning Games, Xbox Boss Says

Expert Verified By

'You Can Buy Every Game That’s in Game Pass.'

Story Highlight
  • Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Game Pass won’t replace owning games for players.
  • Phil clarifies that Xbox is not trying to funnel gamers into the subscription-based business model.
  • The CEO says that gamers can still choose to purchase a game after enjoying it on Game Pass to keep it forever.

While subscription services like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus have made gaming cheaper and more accessible for many players, they have also raised many concerns in the industry. The gaming scene is worried that the model will eventually replace owning games entirely.

However, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer completely disagrees with the concerns. He has recently addressed the matter and clarified that Game Pass won’t replace owning games for players. In fact, it might encourage them in a way.

Why it matters: Xbox boss has ensured worried players that Game Pass will not force them to stop owning games in any capacity. Players who like a title on Game Pass can purchase it and keep it in their libraries forever.

During an interview with Xbox Era, Phil claimed that players who enjoy titles on Game Pass might like them so much that they buy them to keep forever.

He added that Xbox will not trap users who like owning games to the subscription-based model, nor is the company trying to force Nintendo and PlayStation users to its platform.

You can buy every game that’s in Game Pass, we’re not trying to funnel everybody into one business model.

-Phil Spencer

Xbox wants to continue respecting people’s libraries by bringing more features like Play Anywhere and backward compatibility

PlayStation Xbox  Games
Xbox is launching more first-party games on PS5 than Sony this year.

On a side note, Phil also said in the same interview that Xbox will continue its focus on single-player games instead of chasing live service, which we can notice from the company’s lineup of upcoming releases.

Do you think these subscription services will decrease the number of players who want to own games, or is that too unrealistic a possibility? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Sega To Focus On Global Market Instead Of Japanese-First Approach For A Strong Comeback, President Confirms

Sega president Shuji Utsumi has confirmed that the company is adopting a more modern global focus approach to become a behemoth once again.

Fans Claim Game Pass Quality Has Significantly Improved In 2025 Compared To Last Year

Fans claim that the Game Pass value has significantly improved in 2025 compared to last year, with some stating they no longer purchase games.

Colorful Launches iGame GeForce RTX 5050 Series with Unique Designs

Colorful releases the GeForce RTX 5050 Series with three different variants, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell and DLSS 4.

New GTA 6 Job Listings Suggest Rockstar Preparing Huge Global Marketing Campaign

New GTA 6 job listing confirms that Rockstar is confident in the game's current release date, as a huge marketing campaign is about to begin.

GTA Veteran Says Game Launches Are More Stressful Now Compared To PS2 Era

Former GTA developer says game launches are now...