Financing the latest technology is more popular than ever before. For over a couple of years now, mobile carriers have been pushing customers to pay monthly for smartphones instead of signing contracts. Most of these companies have phased out contracts entirely, forcing consumers to either pay for their phone upfront or pay for it over the course of several years. Today, Microsoft is taking a page out of these companies’ playbooks with the launch of Xbox All Access. Announced as a limited-time offer, this service is an option that bundles a new Xbox One S or X with Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for a monthly fee.
One of the biggest barriers for consumers to get a console in their home can quite often be the upfront cost. With Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch consoles all hovering around $300, that can seem like a large cost for customers that enjoy gaming less frequently than hardcore gamers.
Microsoft’s brand-new Xbox All Access offering seems like a great way to get folks over-the-hump and enjoying the latest AAA-titles. Since the service includes Xbox Game Pass, customers do not need to spend money right out of the gate since they will have access to over 100 highly rated games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, and Rocket League.
Xbox All Access also comes with Xbox Live Gold, providing perks like online multiplayer and ‘Games with Gold’, a feature like PlayStation plus that gives customers new games each month just for being a subscriber.
Before you start clicking like a madman trying to sign-up for Xbox All Access, you should be aware of some of its limitations. As mentioned before, it is a limited-time offer that is only available ‘while supplies last’.
If you are thinking that ‘while supplies last’ means that you will need to make a trip to a brick-and-mortar store, you are correct. I found it quite disappointing that customers are not able to sign up online, but instead are directed to find a Microsoft store.
It is quite surprising to me that Microsoft’s new offering is available for a limited-time only. I would love to see it stick around and help the Xbox One console catch up to Playstation 4’s larger market share.
Pricing for Xbox All Access starts at $21.99 per month for those who are happy with an Xbox One S. If you are looking for a more immersive experience, then the Xbox One X may be a better fit at $34.99 per month.
When comparing this deal to retail pricing it seems to be a good value, but it does not hold up when checking the deals we have tracked over this last year. Another thing to note is that while financing is advertised at 0%, you should be aware that if you miss a payment or have a remaining balance after 24 months you will be charged interest at an APR of 19.24-29.99%.
Be sure to head over to the official Xbox All Access page to learn more.
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