The Xbox Game Pass service has quickly risen to be one of the most successful streaming services within the entertainment industry, which is all the more impressive given how saturated this particular market is. Lauded for its value and range of available titles, the Game Pass service is showing no signs of slowing down.
In recent times, the streaming giant Netflix has become increasingly vocal and forthright in shutting down the common practice of sharing accounts among several people, which many argue was a key element of the service becoming so popular to begin with. In a rather well-timed contrast to this decision, Xbox Game Pass has recently announced its plans for a shared Friends and Family Pass, actively encouraging subscribers to share the service's benefits under one monthly payment.
Recent Changes To Netflix
For most of Netflix's time as a streaming service, the sharing of a single account by a number of people under one payment was a very common practice. Considering how this element of Netflix was left relatively unchecked for so long, account sharing slowly seeped into the foundations of Netflix as a service, even if this was unintended by the company itself.
However, the tides of Netflix account sharing appear to be shifting in more recent times, with the company no longer willing to let so much untapped revenue go unclaimed. As early as 2021, for example, Netflix attempted introducing two-factor authentication for accounts to make account sharing across households more difficult.
More recently, it appears that Netflix is holding trials in certain South American countries to add $3 to an account's monthly payment to add a "second home" to their account, should they want to share it across households. Considering that Netflix recently took a large hit to its subscriber count and its stock price, it is no wonder that the company is hunting for ways to increase its profits.
How Xbox Game Pass is Embracing Account Sharing
In stark contrast to Netflix's recent measures, the Xbox Game Pass service is actively encouraging its subscribers to share an account membership under a single payment. Considering that the Xbox Game Pass reportedly has over 30 million subscribers, it appears that Microsoft is attempting to consolidate its numbers, whereas Netflix is trying to boost them.
This new account sharing foray for the Xbox Game Pass service is known as the Friends and Family Plan, and is set to provide a huge added value to the already reasonably priced subscription service. The Friends and Family Plan will allow up to five players to share a single account and payment, with all five players receiving the benefits of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Game Pass Ultimate gives players full access to Game Pass titles, Cloud Gaming, EA Play, perks and exclusive discounts, and membership to Xbox Live. As of right now, the Friends and Family subscription is only available in Ireland and Colombia, but is expected to make a full global rollout in the near future. Converting from the Ireland and Colombia prices, it can be safely assumed that the Friends and Family subscription will cost around $20 a month, roughly $5 more than a standard Ultimate subscription.
Considering that this $20 will be shared between five people, the sheer value of the Friends and Family tier of Xbox Game Pass is drawing swathes of attention from fans, despite the fact that the subscription type is still in its early trial stages. With the Friends and Family subscription having the potential to be very popular, and recent Netflix changes being decidedly unpopular, it seems that major shifts in the entertainment streaming sector are only just getting started.