Microsoft pulls 12-month Xbox Live Gold ahead of Xbox Series X

Xbox Live Gold
(Image credit: Microsoft)

In preparation for the Xbox Series X, Microsoft looks to be continuing its big overhaul of the Xbox's online services.

In a statement to TrueAchievements (via TechRadar), Xbox has confirmed it is no longer selling 12-month subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold, the service which offers online multiplayer and free downloadable games each month to subscribers. "At this time, Xbox has decided to remove the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store," goes the statement from an unnamed Microsoft spokesperson.

You can still pay for Gold by monthly or three-month periods, in case you want to maintain online access for the time being. However, if you're a keen Xbox player you're likely going to be more interested in whatever Microsoft is cooking up next.

We recently heard that Xbox would be combining its Game Pass and xCloud services. Merging its game-on-demand and game streaming offerings means that users won't have to fill up their console's storage with games, and can instead play them via the cloud on the Xbox or an Android device linked to their account. With this recent Xbox Live Gold move, it's perhaps possible that Microsoft plans to fold this into the new all-in-one subscription, too.

We can perhaps expect some closer integration for Game Pass Ultimate as well, which features support for PC gaming as well as Xbox consoles. Since Xbox is introducing Smart Delivery, which allows users to buy games on Xbox consoles and PCs simultaneously, it wouldn't make much sense for it to continue running the Xbox and PC versions of Game Pass as separate entities.

The Xbox Series X is expected to launch in November, as is the PS5. The two share many specs, such as ray-tracing compatibility and fast SSD storage. However, the Xbox offers a few more teraflops of GPU output than the PS5, as well as the Smart Delivery system. The PS5, on the other hand, is focusing on exclusive games, 3D audio and its DualSense haptic controller to stand out.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

Latest in Xbox
Evil Shift Controller Xbox One
Microsoft may be designing a new Xbox controller with DualSense-like features — here's what we know
Playing Metaphor ReFantazio on the Xbox Series X Digital Edition
Got a new Xbox Series X? Here are 5 games you need to play first
Xbox Series X console with a Tom's Guide Black Friday deals tag
Xbox Black Friday deals — biggest savings on Series X, Series S and more
Xbox Game Pass logo above an Xbox controller
Microsoft will finally let you stream Xbox games you already own via Game Pass — here's what you can play right now
wd_black xbox expansion card deals
WD_Black’s 1TB Xbox Expansion Card just hit its lowest ever price — this is a killer Black Friday Xbox deal
seagate 2TB expansion card for xbox series x with a lowest price deal tag
Grab this 2TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series X — back at its lowest ever price
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Wednesday, March 19 (#647)
Chromecast with Google TV connected to display
Google finally pushes out full Chromecast fix for users who factory reset — here’s what to do
A picture of a skull and bones on a smartphone depicting malware
Hundreds of malicious Android apps with 60 million downloads found spamming Android users with ads and stealing credentials
Switch 2 console and logo
Nintendo Switch 2 rumor just tipped possible release date — and it's much sooner than we thought
Hacker typing on laptop in darkened room
Hackers create "BRUTED" tool to attack VPNs – how to stay safe
Malware
Dangerous new password-stealing trojan automatically reinstalls itself on infected PCs