Xbox has been giving out 8 months of Xbox Game Pass subscription for free to existing subscribers in India. Those who subscribe now will be getting 7 months of free subscription, as reported by fans and confirmed by GamingBolt.
Following the recent change in the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines for recurring transactions, Microsoft has given out the subscription free for 8 months as it works around the system to potentially ensure an effortless experience for fans. Those who previously subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will get 8 more months of an Ultimate subscription, while subscribers on PC will get a PC subscription, and so on.
“The Reserve Bank of India recently added new requirements for processing recurring transactions through the RBI-E mandate, intended to enhance the safety and security of these transactions,” Microsoft says in an email sent out to subscribers (via IGN India). “We at Microsoft are updating our payment systems to enable recurring payments in accordance with these requirements. In the meantime to help avoid disruption, we have added 8-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to your account at no additional charge so you don’t have to worry about making recurring payments during this time and can just enjoy playing games.”
On the other hand, subscribers of PS Plus will now have to top-up their PlayStation Store wallets and use those funds to keep the subscription service active. Microsoft’s model of Xbox Game Pass is ripe for developing countries like India, and an 8-month free period is certainly enticing for players to buy into.