Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has been a massive hit with gamers, but a new report hints that the service could be taking a bite out of AAA game sales.
Analytics firm Newzoo revealed on the Igea podcast that while Game Pass offers incredible value, its success might have a hidden cost—lower sales for blockbuster titles on Xbox.
Emmanuel Rozier, Newzoo’s Director of Market Intelligence, explained that their data shows no major difference between Xbox Game Pass players and PlayStation players when it comes to how many games they play or how long they play them. The catch? Game Pass users tend to sample a lot of games without sticking to one for extended periods.
The study looked specifically at games played for more than two hours, cutting out quick trials and demos. Rozier said this “sampling” behavior could lead to what he calls “cannibalization”—where one game’s success eats into another’s sales, particularly for big AAA releases.
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A clear example, he noted, is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which saw lower sales on Xbox compared to previous years—possibly because it was available day one on Game Pass.
While Microsoft is still going all-in on Game Pass and its “play anywhere” strategy, the findings raise questions about the long-term balance between keeping subscribers happy and maintaining strong premium game sales. Releasing games across multiple platforms could be Microsoft’s way of keeping the service sustainable, but the challenge remains:
Can Xbox Game Pass keep growing without hurting the very games that make it worth subscribing to?
