Flagship phones – and phones in general – are pretty damned expensive, yet you still see people with the latest and greatest in mobile devices. That’s mostly because they’re available on short, fixed-term contracts, which help hide how expensive they are. It’s why you’ll happily have people rocking a R14,000 phone, look down on people who want to buy a R7,999 Xbox One X.
Imagine then, that you could get a console on subscription. That’s exactly what Microsoft is planning to offer, according to reports from The Verge and Windows Central. It’ll be called Xbox All Access, and it’ll bundle together a brand new Xbox One X with an Xbox Live Gold subscription as well as Xbox Game Pass. It’ll reportedly be $34.99 a month. For $22 a month they’ll get an Xbox One S instead. And yes, just as expected, it’ll only be available in the US. Sources, however, say that if it proves to be successful, it’ll roll out to other markets. At full retail pricing for the subs and hardware, it actually works out a little cheaper than buying them all separately.
It’d be an affordable way of spreading the cost of a new console over two years, and with Games with Gold and Game Pass, mitigates the need to regularly buy games. For many consumers who don’t need to play the latest games, it’s good value.
I’m not big on contracts and subscriptions, but I’d probably be tempted to grab Microsoft’s next-gen console if this sort of service is offered when it launches in the next few years.
Last Updated: August 23, 2018
Kromas
August 23, 2018 at 15:41
Consoles as a service!
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
August 23, 2018 at 15:59
You deserve a downvote.
Mark Treloar
August 23, 2018 at 16:05
Saw this coming coming a while ago. This is how Microsoft will try to stay ahead of the pack. They will essentially launch new hardware every 12 months with a slight upgrade to get users to buy into everlasting contracts.
I_am_Duffman!
August 23, 2018 at 15:56
FNB has been doing this for ages with their “smart devices” division. You can get a PS4 Pro with 2 controllers and a couple of games for R489pm or a Switch with a couple of games for R399pm. They don’t have any stock of Xbox at the moment.
Mobile networks has also been doing this for a long time, but the price gets pushed up by the crappy data deal you have to take with it.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
August 23, 2018 at 15:59
I’d buy into that if it works out cheaper.
Pieter Kruger
August 23, 2018 at 17:34
Lekker! If it’s offered in SA by then I will also get the Nextbox on All Access!
MonsterCheddar
August 24, 2018 at 06:58
Its your job as a M$ rep to say: “Lekker!” Almost bonus time.