Connect with us

Technology

Is Xbox Live Gold shutting down? Secret Microsoft plot to KILL paid-for membership service

MICROSOFT is planning to shut down Xbox Live Gold eventually, according to insiders.

The hugely popular multiplayer service is a mainstay of Xbox consoles – but could soon vanish altogether.

Read the latest stories for PS5 Keep up-to-date with all the Xbox newsRead the latest gaming news

Microsoft XboxXbox Live Gold has been around for years…but its days may be numbered[/caption]

Xbox Live Gold is a paid service that launched way back on the Xbox 360.

Originally Gold was designed as a way to give users access to online multiplayer.

It involves paying a monthly fee to access these multiplayer features, although it’s changed in recent months.

Since April 2021, free-to-play titles – like Fortnite – no longer require Xbox Live Gold to access multiplayer.

But you still get special bonuses, including cloud storage, early access to betas, and special deals.

You also can claim Games with Gold, a monthly roster of free games that you can download and keep.

And you still need Xbox Live Gold to play premium multiplayer games online, like the Halo franchise.

But last year, GameBeat journalist Jeff Grubb said that Microsoft would eventually discontinue Xbox Live Gold.

And speaking Giant Bomb’s GrubbSnax (via VGC), Grubb said: “Xbox Live Gold is still on a board somewhere saying ‘this is going to go away at some point’.

“Whether or not they’re actively talking about it right now, I don’t know.

“But they still have it on a roadmap saying: ‘Xbox Live Gold will be dropped at some point in the future’.”

He said Microsoft is more focused on Xbox Game Pass, a premium service that acts like a Netflix for games – giving you over 100 titles for a monthly fee.

According to Grubb, Microsoft will hit between 23million and 25million subscribers by the end of the year.

And once Microsoft hits 40million to 50million subscribers, Xbox Live Gold could vanish forever.

Microsoft XboxMicrosoft’s Xbox Game Pass is the talk of the town[/caption]

Gaming tips and tricks

Looking for tips and tricks across your favourite consoles and games? We have you covered…

Can you play PS4 games on PS5?
PS5 vs Xbox Series X – which is better?
Everything you need to know about Roblox
Most popular Roblox games
Best video games for 2021
How to tame a boar in Fortnite
Top 100 rated players in FIFA 21
Best FM21 wonderkids
How many people play Fortnite?
Full weapon tier list from Valheim

 

 


In other news, The Sun’s favourite alternative to a games console is the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

Check out the wildly impressive Panasonic 65HZ1000 TV, which makes most tellies look rubbish.

Read our complete guide to Call of Duty 2021.

And Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk

Exit mobile version