Xbox is making its subscription services more flexible after a UK regulator raised concerns with Microsoft.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has spoken with Microsoft in regards to concerns about the company’s auto-renewing of subscriptions.
As a result, Microsoft is now making Xbox subscriptions more flexible. The company will contact those on a 12-month contract of Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Live Gold and provide them with the option to end their contract in order to claim a proportional refund.
These options were previously not available, with users not receiving a refund even if they accidentally kept their subscription running.
Moreover, anyone with an existing membership that is inactive will be contacted, and if the inactivity continues the subscription will be halted altogether, although it’s unclear how much time needs to pass before the account will qualify as inactive.
Overall, Microsoft will be making core improvements to its service, including better upfront information about price increases, refunds and inactive memberships.
Despite these issues being raised in the UK, after the initial rollout, these improvements will be soon globally available, Microsoft claimed in a statement (via The Verge).
Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold are both cornerstones to Microsoft’s brand, with Microsoft seemingly investing heavily in the former, agreeing to purchase purchased Activision Blizzard for $70 billion in January of this year, and previously announcing the acquisition of Zenimax Media.
Such acquisitions could make popular franchises, such as Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo and Overwatch available on Xbox Game Pass, increasing the appeal for the Netflix-style subscription service.
Xbox Game Pass currently costs £7.99 per month on console or PC, while the Ultimate tier (which includes Xbox Gold and allows you to use xCloud) costs £10.99 per month.
For more Xbox news, keep an eye on Trusted Reviews, as we’ll be keeping you in the loop on all news relating to Microsoft.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
