Apart from free monthly games, Xbox Live Gold also offers access to online multiplayer games. But when Microsoft announced recently that free-to-play online games no longer require anXbox Live Goldsubscription, many wondered whether the service is still valuable. However, things turned for the better when Microsoft unveiled February’s roster of Games with Gold, which not only included heavy-hitter games but also increased its roster from four to five, with one title optimized for the Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for March’s selection of Xbox Games with Gold.
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No Series X Games
When February’s Xbox Games with Gold were revealed, many believedMicrosoft was finally stepping up its strategyby offering more quality games in its roster. Some even thought that the standard set by Microsoft last month would be the beginning of Xbox Live Gold’s step in the right direction. Unfortunately, when March’s games were revealed, many Xbox fans were once again disappointed, squashing all hopes that Microsoft is turning the service for the better.
One of the biggest disappointments in March’s Games with Gold is the lack of an Xbox Series X game, or at the very least, an Xbox One game optimized for the Xbox Series X. To be fair, full-fledged Xbox Series X games are still limited right now, given that the next-gen console was just released last November. However, it is inevitable for players to compare Xbox Live Gold with Sony’s PS Plus, which has beenoffering PS5 games since the console’s launch. It is a mystery why Microsoft decided to backpedal for the March 2021 free games, given that February included a total of five titles, including the Xbox Series X optimized version ofGears 5. The inconsistent variety of Xbox Games with Gold is definitely a huge step backward, especially now that more and more players are transitioning to the Xbox Series X/S.
Lack of Heavy Hitter Games
At the time of writing, the announcement video released by the official Xbox channel on YouTube has more dislikes than likes,reflecting how players feel about next month’s Games with Gold. It remains to be seen how Microsoft reacts to this backlash, especially since the company has just earned its fanbase’s trust again with February’s Games with Gold. Of course, the big question now is what Microsoft intends to do with April’s free games. Will it maintain the standard set by February’s Games with Gold? Or will Microsoft revert to its “quantity over quality approach” that resulted in Xbox fans questioning the value of Xbox Live Gold?
MORE:February 2021’s Free Xbox Games with Gold Takes a ‘Better Late Than Never’ Approach
