Xbox Game Pass logo with a series of games behind it.
Image via Xbox/Destructoid.

Microsoft axes $1 Xbox Game Pass trial

Now you’ll have to pay the full subscription price to play Starfield.

Microsoft has removed the option to sign up for a 14-day trial of Game Pass for $1. ꦬThis comes just ahead ofꦺ Starfield’s release on September 6.

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This was first reported by , and you can compare what the Game Pass sign-up page looked like 🐻before and after the change thanks to a tweet by . The𓆏re used to be text in each subscription tier advertising 14 days for $1, and then full price afterwards. This text is now from the live page.

 

In the past, people were able to try Game Pass for a full month for the low cost of $1. This allowed people to sign up, play whatever was in the library for a month, and then cancel their service before paying the full subscr🅰iption fee. Perhaps to curb this practice, Microsoft removed the $1 month-long trial in before 🅰reinstating it in July this year. However, after about a month, the month-long trial period was reduced to just 14 days. Three♚ weeks later, Microsoft has decided to remove the trial option altogethe🙈r.

It looks like you can𓄧 still get a free 14-day trial through the . The program allows current subscribers to gift fi🎶ve people each year with a free 14-day trial of PC Game Pass. So if you know someone who already has Game Pass, perhaps you can ask them for a cod⛄e.

Is it because of Starfield?

Maybe. Without a statement from Microᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚsoft, we can only speculate as to why they are making this change. The timing certainly lines up with the highly-anticipated release of Starfield, so this s💝eems to be the prevailing theory for now.

If you already have a Game Pass subscription, then this won’t affect you. The change only affects would-be new subscribers who planned to take advantage of the $1 offer to play Starfield on release day.

The full price for a month of PC Game Pass is $10, or $17 for the Ultimate tier. Subscribers can play Starfield when it launches on September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X|S. Tho💃se with the Premium Edition of the game can access the game five days early.


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Christine Choi
Contributing Writer - Christine has been gaming since she first stole her brother's Game Boy as a kid. She's come a long way since then and has been creating content for Genshin Impact since 2021.