Xbox Game Pass to get Xbox exclusives on launch day

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is a solid first step into the world of subscription-based gaming, offering just over 100 games for R159 a month. The library isn’t amazing but there are quite a few big-hitting games and hidden gems here, giving you plenty to play.

Now, Microsoft has announced a big boost thanks to first-party exclusives launching simultaneously on their own and on Xbox Game Pass. And it all starts with Sea of Thieves…

“Moving forward, we plan to release all new Xbox One exclusive games from Microsoft Studios into Xbox Game Pass on the same date as their global release. This means that when Sea of Thieves launches on 20 March, it will be included in Xbox Game Pass to all members,” the company’s Phil Spencer explains.

Spencer confirmed that the plan isn’t just for previously announced exclusives to launch via the service (such as Crackdown 3 and State of Decay 2), but for unannounced Microsoft exclusives as well. In fact, Spencer specifically cited new entries in the Forza, Halo and Gears of War franchise as coming to the service.

Now, about bringing Game Pass to PC users… At the very least, Microsoft’s Albert Penello told us that it was “a great suggestion”.