Microsoft is bringing back the $1 Game Pass experience – Xbox

In late March, Microsoft ended its $1 Game Pass trial memberships and replaced them in May with a new, but more restrictive referral program.

With Microsoft’s Friend Referral offer for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can share 14-day-only PC Game Pass trial codes with up to five friends. But now, Xbox and PC gamers who have never tried Game Pass before can get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass for a month for just $1. There’s no $1 trial membership in the regular Xbox Game Pass, but that’s not a problem, since the $1 trial membership for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets the whole package.

It’s unclear why Microsoft is testing Game Pass, but the company may be betting on the upcoming release of Starfield and Forza Motorsport to get more gamers to sign up for the service. Microsoft unveiled new Xbox and Bethesda games last month, and it looks like Microsoft’s various game studio acquisitions are finally bearing fruit.

Another big change brought about by the return of the $1 beta is the company’s decision to (quietly) change the conversion ratio of Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass to be less favorable. Until now, players could pay for 3 years of Xbox Live Gold and convert it into 3 years of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the cost of 1 month of Game Pass Ultimate ($16.99).

Now, that 1:1 conversion ratio has changed to 3:2: This means that 3 years of Xbox Live Gold can now be converted into 2 years of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate instead of 3. Although this offer is not as generous as before, It’s still the best way to save on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, which went up this week to €14.99 per month.