The next-generation Xbox console may offer free online multiplayer, according to a new insider report that also outlines additional alleged details about the upcoming system. Removing the subscription requirement could be a major selling point for the Series S/X successor, while marking a return to the Xbox ecosystem's original approach to online functionality.
Though Microsoft's gaming hardware business has been losing momentum for years, the Xbox division has been a major industry influence since the early naughts. Among other things, it pioneered the concept of a universal multiplayer subscription, helping to normalize paid online services among console users. The trend began with the 2002 launch of Xbox Live, introduced as a $49.99-per-year service. Sony initially offered online multiplayer for free, but adopted a paid model with PlayStation Plus on the PS4 in 2013. Nintendo followed suit in 2018 with the debut of Nintendo Switch Online.
Xbox Live was rebranded as Xbox Network in 2021, but the core principle of paying for online functionality remained the same, though Microsoft is nowadays bundling this perk into its various Game Pass tiers. All of this may change in the coming years, with Windows Central's Jez Corden reporting Microsoft is...
