Eagle eyed Neogaf user ibizaPocholo has spotted a twitter post that suggests Microsoft might be looking into and testing a game rental feature through the Xbox Store, distinct from the Xbox Game Pass service. A Spanish user posted an image on Twitter that shows a 3 month rental for Forza Motorsport 7 for the equivalent of $21, which left the forum to speculate on if this is an upcoming feature.
While the price of the rental in the picture seems very high, it’s hard to say how the pricing structure worldwide would shake out if Microsoft moves to make the feature a key part of their system. Rentals could easily have a place beside the Netflix style Xbox Game Pass, offering players the chance to try specific games that aren’t available in the pass, or playing through a shorter title for a smaller price.
Microsoft could have a hard time getting publishers on board, who would rather see what they can get out of the typical $60 pricing before they allow rentals. However, on the other hand offering customers the choice to rent for a couple months could put a serious dent in the second hand games market. Microsoft has been going from strength to strength with their services, setting themselves apart from the competition with initiatives like Xbox Game Pass and Play Anywhere, basically creating a more consumer focused version of their original vision for the system. Rentals could just be one more part of that new roadmap.
Take this report with a grain of salt as we are not able to verify the authenticity of this image. Regardless this seems to be in line with Microsoft’s recent offerings.
https://twitter.com/AllGamesDelta/status/976453726041989120
