Rumor mill: Xbox's new CEO aims to make Game Pass – the core of Microsoft's gaming business – more affordable for users and less costly for the company. Following price cuts for the service's highest subscription tiers, data miners have uncovered evidence of what might be a new entry-level plan.
The developer(s) of Better xCloud, a third-party plug-in that adds numerous features to Xbox Cloud Gaming, recently uncovered code suggesting that Microsoft plans to introduce at least one more Xbox Game Pass subscription plan. While no pricing information for the new tier is available, and Microsoft has not announced anything, it might lower the service's barrier to entry.
The initial leaks from last month indicated that Microsoft is at least considering a low-cost option for accessing back catalogs from in-house studios and the companies it acquired in recent years. Mentioned games include Gears 5, Doom Eternal, Dishonored 2, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more. Code uncovered this week suggests that the new tier, initially codenamed Triton, will be called Game Pass Starter Edition and also include numerous third-party titles.
– red // Better xCloud (@redphx) April 23, 2026
It remains unclear whether Starter Edition will offer more games than Essential, the current cheapest plan, which includes approximately 50 games and unlimited streaming for $10 per month. However, Starter Edition will impose a monthly streaming time limit. Reports from last year suggested that Microsoft was testing a free, ad-supported plan that allows a few hours of gameplay per month with two-minute pre-session ads, but the details are subject to change.
Recently datamined code also suggests that games included in Starter Edition will be available through a Game Pass-Netflix bundle, possibly codenamed Duet. Initial details regarding Duet leaked around the time Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters claimed that new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma aimed to invest in Game Pass's growth. The two reportedly discussed ideas for a bundle, but whether anything was agreed upon remains unclear.
– red // Better xCloud (@redphx) April 17, 2026
Sharma eventually announced her first change to Game Pass earlier this week – a price cut for the Ultimate and PC-only tiers. Microsoft also announced that going forward, new Call of Duty entries will join the service after a one-year delay. Releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Game Pass at launch reportedly cost the company hundreds of millions in lost traditional sales.
In a public memo on Friday, the new Xbox CEO outlined numerous steps to revitalize Xbox following years of declining sales, including "fortifying" Game Pass with clear differentiation and sustainable economics. Sharma likely aims to balance giving the subscription a clearer value proposition with managing costs on Microsoft's end.