XBOX will no longer charge you to enjoy multiplayer gaming on some titles.
The Xbox Live requirement has been scrapped for free-to-play titles.
You’ll get the new free-to-play option if you’re an Xbox Insider right now – with a guide on how to join at the bottom of this article.
And the free service will go live to everyone in the coming weeks.
Microsoft charges £7/$10 a month for Xbox Live.
Buying it means you get access to online play for a wide variety of games, as well as group party chat and some other perks.
Now party chat will be totally free without an Xbox Live membership.
And any free-to-play games won’t require a membership.
Previously, you’d still have to pay for Xbox Live even if you were playing something like Fortnite – which has no upfront cost.
Now you can just buy an Xbox console and play Fortnite without paying any additional costs.
Of course, Xbox Live isn’t a bad purchase.
For a start, you’ll still need it to play premium online games like Halo or Call of Duty Cold War.
And you get access to Games with Gold, which is a monthly offering of premium games made free for members.
- Xbox Live Gold for £6.99/$9.99 – buy here
But this latest change means some people will be tempted to cancel their Xbox Live subscriptions for good.
The original announcement came in the same week that Microsoft killed off the Xbox Live name for good.
Xbox Live launched way back in 2002, and has been a staple of Microsoft’s console offering.
But last month, Xbox Live was rebranded to Xbox Network.
Microsoft didn’t detail exactly what this means, but it looks like changes are beginning to creep in.
The gaming giant recently debuted the next-gen Xbox Series X (£449) and Xbox Series S (£249), which hit shelves worldwide November 10.
How to join the Xbox Insider Program
To join, follow these steps on your Xbox:
- Go to Store on Home or choose Store in the guide
- Choose Search
- Enter Insider in the box and choose Xbox Insider bundle
- Choose Get or Install
If you can’t find Store, scroll down to Add More on the Home Screen and then choose the Store tile.
This may be hidden so choose See All Suggestions.
You can then Add To Home and follow the above steps.
ll prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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