This year in August, Microsoft introduced its Xbox All Access service in America. With this subscription, you get an Xbox One console, as well as access to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass. For the time being this subscription is only available in the US. If successful, the concept would be rolled out to other countries, including Europe. A new trademark indicates that Microsoft is now preparing to launch this subscription in Europe.
Microsoft Xbox All Access
On June 6, 2019, law firm CMS Cameron McKenna from Poland filed a trademark with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) on behalf of Microsoft Corporation for the name Xbox All Access. The trademark is still being investigated, when approved, it offers name protection for the whole of Europe. This process usually takes a few weeks.
The trademark is categorized as Class 41, with the description; “Entertainment service, offering game services for games played via computer networks, providing computer games and video games for playing online via computer networks and global communication networks.”
What does Xbox All Access mean and how much does a subscription cost?
In America, consumers buying a new game console can choose between the cheaper Xbox One S and the more expensive Xbox One X. For $22 USD per month, you can get the Xbox One S, in combination with Xbox Gold and the Xbox Game Pass. After a contract period of 24 months, the game console is yours. For $ 35 USD per month, you buy the more powerful Xbox One X, even then you get access to the two associated services.
If you decide to buy one of the consoles separately, together with Xbox Gold and the Xbox Game Pass, you will have considerably more money lost. It is therefore an ideal concept for gamers who do not want or cannot spend hundreds of euros directly for a new game console. During the launch last August, many people wondered when the Xbox subscription would come to Europe.
Now that the trademark has been requested in Europe, Microsoft seems to be no longer in the way to introduce this all-inclusive subscription this year. We may get to know more about Xbox All Access during Gamescom. This annual game fair takes place from August 20 to 24 in Cologne, Germany.
Microsoft introductions on E3 2019
Microsoft yesterday held a press conference at E3 in Los Angeles where the beta version of Game Pass for the PC was introduced. For € 4 per month, gamers can download games and play on a Windows 10 PC. As E3 takes place in the USA, it makes sense that Microsoft will choose another time to announce Xbox All Access for Europe. Gamescom 2019 seems to be the ideal event, Microsoft has exactly 1-year experience with its subscription service in America.
On E3 2019, Microsoft also released more details regarding Project Scarlett or the next-gen Xbox console. Xbox Two, or whatever the game console may ultimately be called, will be released just before Christmas 2020. Thanks to AMD Navi technology, the new game console must be no less than 4x as powerful as the Xbox One X. In addition, an SSD will be used. It was already known earlier that the Sony PS5 will also have an SSD (Solid State Drive), which means that considerably shorter loading times can be achieved. Real-time ray tracing and playing 8K games will also be possible.
