Xbox Game Pass Exclusive is Coming to China
It has been suggested that Microsoft may be working on a special version of Xbox Game Pass for the Chinese market. Some statements found in the latest update to the Xbox PC application indicate that the service may be tailored to China in terms of Game Pass, Rewards, and subscription tiers. There has been no official statement from the company on this matter, so for now, this development should be considered a leak.
Xbox Game Pass May Have a Separate Structure for China
It is stated that a codename called Project Saluki was found in the application files. The description of this codename reportedly includes topics such as Game Pass expansion to the Chinese market, the Rewards system, and subscription tiers. This suggests that instead of directly carrying over the existing Xbox Game Pass structure, Microsoft may be preparing a more specialized model for the Chinese market.
Publishing games in China can be a more complex process compared to other markets. Microsoft has been selling consoles in the country for years and also has a presence in the gaming sector through Activision Blizzard. However, due to regulatory approval processes in the region, not every game can be released in China. This can also pose a significant obstacle for services offering a large game library, such as Xbox Game Pass.
Therefore, a China-specific version of Xbox Game Pass might opt for a more limited library of approved games. Different pricing or a new subscription tier might also be considered. However, none of this is confirmed yet. It’s impossible to say what kind of system Microsoft will implement without an official announcement.
The same update also mentions the codename Positron. This name is speculated to be related to the idea of converting physical games to digital licenses. In other words, Xbox might have different plans on the table simultaneously for both next-generation hardware and regional subscription services.
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