Xbox Game Pass misses growth target rate for second year in a row

The Game Pass' growth, or lack thereof, is easy to explain. The service's appeal is the day-one access to first-party games, which it hasn't had in a while. After enjoying Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite last year, Game Pass didn't have any follow-up. Perhaps this is why Sony isn't keen on making day-one launches as the selling point for the PS Plus - it's hard if not impossible to sustain the pace.

Microsoft won't stop trying though. After welcoming ZeniMax Media to its stable, Microsoft set its eyes on Activision Blizzard and the tech giant is still open to more acquisitions. It's not like Microsoft doesn't have the cash to spare - it's worth more than $2 trillion, the last time we checked. But, of course, this new information does paint a rather confusing picture of the importance of Game Pass to Xbox as a business.

If you base it on what Xbox is peddling, it's a killer app that dwarfs its competition, but it's obviously not growing at the rate that Microsoft is hoping.

For what it's worth, the Game Pass' first-party library will grow next year. ZeniMax's first Xbox exclusives, Starfield and Redfall, will finally come out before the next fiscal year ends. If Xbox can add even more to these two, the Game Pass might meet internal expectations for the first time in three years.