Summary
Long before the days ofXbox Game Passand PlayStation Plus' Extra and Premium tiers, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network reigned over the console gaming space. Originally just a service that granted online gaming capabilities,Xbox Live and PlayStation Networkwould see a bit of an evolution in the early 2010s. Undergoing a rebrand, PSN was renamed PlayStation Plus in 2010, and to keep fans happy after announcing they’d have to start paying for online services, PlayStation announced that free monthly games would be included with their subscription.
This decision has seemingly had a monumental ripple effect across the entire gaming industry. In 2013, Xbox started offering its own free monthly titles through Games With Gold, and together with PS Plus, the two console giants continued dishing out free games for the next decade. But while Xbox’s Games With Gold scheme has finally been replaced by Game Pass, PlayStation Plus has continued operating as it always has, though now it’s under the PS Plus “Essential” banner. Now, it’sXbox Game Passvs PS Plus, and despite a few great months, Game Pass loses an edge to PlayStation this April.
April’s PS Plus Additions Knock The Wind Out of Xbox Game Pass' Sails
Minecraft Legends Is Coming to PlayStation Plus in April
Along withImmortals of AveumandSkul: The Hero Slayer, PlayStation Plus' Essential tieris receivingMinecraft Legendsthis April. Developed by Mojang and Blackbird Interactive,Minecraft Legendsis a real-time action-strategy game that’s technically owned by Microsoft. ThoughMinecraft Legendswas a multi-platform release on day-one, it’s still a little surprising to see it frontlining PlayStation Plus' April line-up, especially given how important it became to last year’s Xbox Game Pass strategy.
2023 was a bit of a mixed year for Xbox Game Pass overall. Though it began and ended very strongly, a good portion ofXbox Game Pass' 2023was left without any heavy hitters, and that’s whereMinecraft Legendscame in. After the surprisingly excellent January and February Game Pass offerings, the subscription service completely dropped the ball in March, and fans started longing for a new first-party experience. Then along cameMinecraft Legendsin April 2023, giving players a pretty good reason to retain their subscription.
Though it didn’t receive the best critical reception,Minecraft Legendswas still a big draw for Xbox Game Pass last year, and that only became increasingly true over the next few months after its release. Intended to kickstart a new era ofAAA first-party Game Pass titles,Redfalllanded with a thud in May 2023, which meant thatMinecraft Legendshad to carry the service for a little longer. While it’s great thatMinecraft Legendscan be enjoyed by an even wider audience now, it feels a little strange to see it on a PlayStation Plus titlecard.
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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
