Xbox Game Pass offers an instant console subscription library

The term ‘Netflix for games’ is bounded about all too frequently, but a new service from Microsoft might be just that for Xbox owners.

Xbox Games Pass will cost 7.99 a month and offer members the chance to access a constantly shifting library of titles. It’s very much along the line of EA Access, but with titles from a range of publishers and spanning both Xbox One and backwardly compatible Xbox 360 titles.

Confirmed launch games include Halo 5: Guardians, Payday 2, NBA 2K16 and SoulCalibur II. Partner publishers include Warner Bros, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, Codemasters, 2K, 505 Games, SNK, THQ Nordic, Deep Silver and Focus.

Members can download and play any included titles as long as they remain subscribed and the game itself still available as part of the service. In other words, this is not a streaming service like PlayStation Now and thus avoids the latency and stutter issues that can sometimes crop up when streaming games.

Furthermore, should gamers want to buy any games they’ve played once they leave Xbox Game Pass, they will get a 20 per cent discount off the price. Saves associated with games will remain on a user’s HDD, should they so wish.

Xbox Game Pass will start rolling out to select Xbox Insider members straight away, with a full rollout planned for the spring.

One of the best things about Xbox Game Pass is that you can discover and download the full titles directly on your Xbox One. That means continuous, full-fidelity gameplay without having to worry about streaming, bandwidth or connectivity issues,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer said.

Every month new games will cycle into the subscription with some cycling out, giving you a constantly-updating library of games. Xbox Game Pass is your ticket to endless play.”