2020 is nearing its end, and for the gaming industry, that’s likely a positive thing. It’s unknown what 2021 holds, but with the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X amid the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a ton of anticipation for what remains over that hill. One thing that has turned out to be promising is the subscription services that moved from current-gen to next-gen, like Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus.
But Xbox Games with Gold finds itself left out of this equation for the most part. Notably, Games with Gold is most comparable to PS Plus as both offer free monthly games and grant access to online services, but Game Pass is the premiere service for Xbox. And with the free games made available in Games with Gold for December 2020 and the negative reaction to them, it’s clear that this may just be the beginning of the end for Games with Gold.
December 2020 was the month for PS Plus and GwG to show their hands. November 2020 may have been the first month where next-gen consoles also had access to these services, but December 2020 is the first month where these services and consoles are available calendar day one. For PS Plus, not only is BugSnax available as a free game until January, but PS Plus is offering three games for December 2020 on top of that. PS Plus is doubling down on what makes the service so great as part of the PlayStation experience.
On the other hand, the Xbox experience is moreso defined now by Game Pass than it is Games with Gold. The recent batch of games for it likely proves that Microsoft is not just starting to invest more in Game Pass than Games with Gold, it likely proves the latter is on the way out. The four games for the coming month include The Raven: Remastered, Bleed 2, Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, and Stacking, and if those don’t sound immediately appealing, it’s because they’re really not. Microsoft fans aren’t happy with Xbox Games with Gold for December 2020, and for good reason.
However, what fans should keep in mind is that Games with Gold isn’t PS Plus. The big draw for the Xbox economy is Game Pass, and for that reason, December 2020’s games seem to echo one big thing: Games with Gold is becoming a relic whereas Game Pass is becoming the key focus of Xbox. It’s unsure when or how, but if December 2020 is any indication, it seems Games with Gold’s days are numbered.
Xbox Games with Gold offers 4 free games every month.
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