Xbox Game Pass subscribers who have opted to join the service on the Standard tier will need to wait a long time to access first-party releases. While Microsoft has inarguably had a rough year, the company's troubles came to a head in July when it managed to frustrate its entire consumer base by announcing a significant price hike for Xbox Game Pass while also introducing a cheaper tier. The Standard version doesn't feature Day-One releases and until now, Microsoft has been cagey regarding how long users will have to wait for Xbox-produced titles to arrive.
Per GamesIndustry.biz, Xbox confirmed that subscribers on Game Pass Standard will have to wait "up to 12 months or more" for first-party releases, which is longer than many suspected. Waiting over a year for games to trickle down to the cheaper tier may be what convinces some users to upgrade to Ultimate to access those coveted Day-One releases but it could also backfire for Microsoft. The community has voiced its frustration over the news, especially after many are being forced to either adopt the Standard Tier or pay extra for Ultimate.
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