Xbox Live Gold no longer needed for free-to-play games on Xbox One, Series X|S
After months of testing, free-to-play games no longer require an Xbox Live Gold subscription on Xbox consoles.
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What you need to know
Microsoft just took a huge step to make games on Xbox consoles more accessible. People no longer need Xbox Live Gold for free-to-play games on Xbox consoles, including theXbox Series X, andXbox Series S. You also won’t need an Xbox Live Gold subscription for free-to-play games on older hardware like the Xbox One S and original Xbox One.
Alongside dropping the requirement to have Xbox Live Gold to play free-to-play games, Microsoft also removed the requirement to have Xbox Live Gold to look for Groups and Party Chats.
This move has been known about for some time, but we were waiting to find out the exact moment it dropped.Microsoft first announcedthat Xbox Live Gold wouldn’t be required for free-to-play multiplayer games back in January. The company then tested the feature out on its Alpha, Alpha Insider, Beta, and Omega rings for Xbox Insiders.
Many of thebest Xbox gamesare free-to-play, including Call of Duty: Warzone, Rocket League, and Fortnite. Now, gamers can jump onto these titles and play online without having to pay for a monthly Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Xbox Live Gold isn’t tremendously expensive, but it adds up over time. If a player only plays free-to-play games, they can save hundreds of dollars over a few years. Additionally, there seems to be a new streaming service each month, so having some extra cash around could help pay for something likeXbox Games PassorDisney Plus.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
