Microsoft has started testing Xbox Game Pass Core, its lowest-cost Game Pass membership that’s set to replace Xbox Live Gold.
Announced last month, Core will cost $11.99/month and give players access to online multiplayer (a previous Xbox Live Gold perk) and a catalogue of over 25 games, primarily from Xbox first-party studios.
Now, in a blog post, the company confirmed that Xbox testers with Gold memberships in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings will be able to preview Core. For the purposes of this test, only Doom Eternal, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Psychonauts 2, and State of Decay 2 will be available.
Xbox adds that some changes will be rolling out throughout the month, including some areas of the experience saying ‘Game Pass Core’ while others retain the old ‘Xbox Live Gold’ branding. The company asks Insiders to report any other problems they find during testing. Those interested in joining the program can do so by downloading the ‘Xbox Insider Bundle’ on console and following the in-app instructions.
Xbox Game Pass Core will launch on September 14th for all Xbox owners. In the meantime, the costs of the other Game Pass subscriptions have gone up. A standard Game Pass membership for console or PC is now priced at $12.99/month (up $1), while Game Pass Ultimate costs $18.99 (up $2).
