Just a few weeks ago, Microsoft announced a price increase for Xbox Game Pass, and many gamers were rightfully wondering about the justification for such a change. Today, the publisher is providing a partial answer by expanding its offering for the first time in years. Among the new features in May, one initiative is particularly notable: the integration of Retro Classics, a collection of iconic retro games now available to Game Pass subscribers.
Rolling out today, this new feature is the result of a collaboration between Xbox and Antstream Arcade. It provides access to a selection of more than 50 cult games released in the 1980s and 1990s, including several titles from Activision, which has been owned by Microsoft for two years. These include Pitfall!, Commando, Kaboom!, and Mech Warrior 2. The stated objective is clear: to promote the preservation of video game heritage while making it accessible through modern technology. It also aims to make Game Pass's changes to plans easier to swallow, as they have removed some valuable benefits from standard subscribers. The games are playable on Xbox consoles, PC, or even via the cloud.
Just like we used to play them before
The experience goes beyond simple nostalgia. Users can save and resume their games at any time – a new feature for many of these titles – and take on community challenges. New achievements have also been integrated to appeal to completionists, while gradual additions are planned, eventually bringing the collection beyond 100 titles.
Microsoft has always used Xbox as a means of preserving old games. Several of its initiatives show that backward compatibility is also a matter of will on the part of manufacturers and publishers, but that this will can always be monetized. While the Game Pass price increase remains a point of contention for some, these additions are a way to mitigate criticism.
Another new feature that Microsoft is announcing to a lesser extent is that Xbox Game Pass PC users can now access streaming via GeForce Now, Nvidia's service, adding an alternative to the cloud gaming already offered by Microsoft.
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