Microsoft Introduces a Cost-effective Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family Plan

You will be able to enjoy a new Xbox Game Pass soon! Last week a leak spread on the internet which revealed Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan branding. Microsoft has now officially announced its new plan for friends and family along with the pricing details.

A Cost-effective Subscription Plan for Family and Friends

The new subscription plan has been announced for Ireland and Colombia. The subscription will let Xbox Game Pass members share with up to four other friends or family members. You can add your friends and family members to this plan but the only restriction is that all these people should be in the same country.

"With Game Pass Friends & Family, you and up to four players can enjoy Game Pass Ultimate for just € 21.99 a month. Everyone can enjoy hundreds of high-quality games together on console, PC and cloud," as per Xbox website.  "Add up to four friends and family members, whether they live under the same roof or not. Each person uses their own account and Xbox profile to save their games, track their achievements, and receive personalized recommendations," added the website. The plan can be purchased for €21.99 per month in Ireland, and 49,900 COP in Colombia.

Currently, the tech giant is testing the new Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan in Ireland and Colombia priced at €21.99 per month instead of the regular €12.99 per month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription plan. This means that you only spent less than €5 per month per person to share all the usual Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits.

How does the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family Plan Work?

The person who subscribes to the Game Pass Friends & Family plan will be called the primary account holder. The members he/she adds will be secondary members. To become a primary account holder, you will have to join Friends & Family through the digital Microsoft Store. As a primary account holder, you can manage group members on your Services & subscriptions page.

"The primary account holder is responsible for payments and the only member able to add other users to the group membership, while secondary group members are added and/or removed by the primary member," informed the Xbox website.

What If You Have an Existing Game Pass or Gold Membership?

After you subscribe to the Game Pass Friends & Family Plan, your existing subscription will be automatically converted to the new plan. The time remaining on your previous plan will automatically convert based on the following table.

30 days Xbox Game Pass Ultimate = 18 days Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days Xbox Game Pass (Console) = 12 days Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days PC Game Pass = 12 days Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days Xbox Live Gold = 12 days Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days EA Play = 6 days Game Pass Friends & Family

Terms and Conditions

Here are some terms and conditions you should be aware of before subscribing to the plan after it launches in your country:

• You can only be a member of one group at a time.

• As the primary account holder, you can invite up to four people at a time with a max of eight people who accept to join your account per year.

• Your group members can only join a group up to two times per year. This includes leaving and rejoining the same group.

• Only the primary account holder can share their Game Pass benefits via home sharing. Group members cannot share with other accounts on their console.

Microsoft is yet to reveal the launch date and pricing for its new plan for the rest of Europe, the UK, and the US.