PlayStation Plus will have even harder time competing with Game Pass

Microsoft reiterates a major new feature coming to Xbox Game Pass subscribers that will make it even harder for Sony's PlayStation plus to compete.

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The console wars have transformed into the service wars; Microsoft has won the service market with its ultra-valuable Game Pass subscription, but Sony is swooping in with its new 3-tiered PlayStation Plus. Each service has its own strengths and weaknesses. Game Pass includes day-one first-party games, and PlayStation Plus boasts a mighty 740 game library across six console generations.

Today Xbox Game Pass packed on some more muscle. Microsoft announced that Xbox games that subscribers already own will soon be available for cloud streaming. "We're excited to share that later this year, it's our intent to roll out the ability for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play, from the cloud, select games they already own or have purchased outside the Xbox Game Pass library," Microsoft wrote on the Xbox Wire.

This is a big benefit for multiple use-cases, including gamers without consoles. Game Pass cloud streaming brings Xbox games to multiple platforms all without a console. Subscribers can stream games to their PC browsers, their phones, and starting on June 30, directly to new Samsung TVs with a dedicated app. Streaming offers full cloud-based save access so users can simply pick up and play exactly where they left off across all devices.

Features like these should help spark adoption and retention for Game Pass. Microsoft has said Xbox Game Pass has over 25 million subscribers.

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