Summary
- Xbox is releasing the Xbox Starter Bundle, which includes an Xbox Series S and a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
- Xbox has been expanding its Game Pass offerings with big third-party games and first-party titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport.
- The Xbox Starter Bundle offers a three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription for free. It's puzzling why it didn't use the newer 1TB Series S, but the original model allows for a cheaper entry point.
Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Starter Bundle, which includes an Xbox Series S and a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate. Last month, nearly three years after the launch of the Series X and S console generation, Xbox released a refreshed black Xbox Series S containing one terabyte of storage space, addressing the main drawback of the original Series S.
This year has seen Xbox strengthen its Game Pass offerings even further with big third-party games that have launched into the service on day one like Atomic Heart, Wo-Long: Fallen Dynasty, and the Bloodborne-inspired Pinocchio Soulslike Lies of P. Additionally, on the first-party front, Xbox has been putting out some great titles from its internal studios. Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire: Tokyo hit the service earlier this year, as well as Bethesda Game Studios' massive 1,000-planet space exploration RPG Starfield. Most recently, the newest iteration of Xbox's racing sim Forza Motorsport has just launched to great reception.
Now, as the holiday season approaches, Xbox is bundling its incredible Game Pass offering with the Series S in the Xbox Starter Bundle. The bundle, which is launching on October 31, will include the original 512GB Xbox Series S, a wireless Xbox controller, and a three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Priced at $299, which is currently the base price of the 512GB Xbox Series S alone, Xbox is essentially offering three months of Game Pass Ultimate for free as part of this starter bundle.
Prices of game consoles have historically decreased over time in the years following their original launches. However, this has yet to happen with the Xbox Series X or S nearly three years after the release of both consoles. It's possible that this Series S starter bundle is somewhat of an invisible price drop, with the $50 being made up with the three-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription roped in. Regardless, it's still puzzling as to why Xbox didn't use its newer 1TB Series S for the bundle instead. Though, considering its $349 price tag, Xbox is likely trying to provide the cheapest entry point possible by going with the original model.
Gamers who purchase the Xbox Starter Bundle on October 31 or in early November will have Game Pass Ultimate through the end of January next year. During these months, new subscribers will have plenty to look forward to with more big games launching into the service like Persona 5 Tactica, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Thirsty Suitors, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, potentially Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and more. Perhaps Xbox will create a similar holiday bundle for its 1TB Series S or even Series X in the future. For now, this Series S Starter Bundle is sure to light up the holiday shelves with its packaging displaying the huge variety of great games on offer in Xbox Game Pass.
Source: Xbox Wire