Xbox Game Pass Could Get Demos Soon, Says New Rumor

A new rumor is saying that Xbox Game Pass might go back to the old days, as per Microsoft's plans to further improve their subscription service.

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Xbox game pass gift cards are seen in a store in Krakow, Poland on August 26, 2021

GameRant reports that Xbox might be looking for a way to bring back game demos "in a limited fashion" onto Game Pass. And if the rumor proves to be accurate, then fans could expect some sort of an official announcement at the upcoming Summer Game Fest event, which is scheduled for June 9th.

The rumor comes from the game news site Exputer. In their report, the limited time demos will come alongside other "bigger announcements" from Microsoft. It will also reportedly be Xbox's direct answer to PlayStation Plus, who looks to offer limited-time game trials for the PS4 and PS5 later this year.

Microsoft's own limited game demos is said to come to Xbox Game Pass within the next year, and will be designed to help indie game developers all over the world, as per the original Exputer report. Any developer who wants to be part of the project will receive a two-fold gift: the necessary data needed to make games, and some sort of compensation from the tech giant for merely participating.

This new rumor comes alongside others. One of these says that Game Pass subscribers could get a streaming stick that will allow them to play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles on any eligible smart TV. Also, TechRaptor reports that Microsoft is looking to extend their prior deal with Samsung, which allows them to use the TV manufacturer's hardware to give people access to native Cloud Streaming.

The leak says that the announcement featuring the demos will come "several hours" before the events of the Summer Game Fest kick in. So maybe you should tune in to that and see whether this rumor is accurate.

Game demos, while never really fading away, used to be a massive part of the gaming industry. They were used by many developers to help market their games. They were even included in free CDs inside gaming magazines, which is why Microsoft doing so for Game Pass is a harkening back to the old days.

Read Also: Best Hidden Xbox Series X Features You NEED To Try

Everything Else You Need To Know About The Summer Game Fest

Summer Game Fest basically serves as this year's replacement for the canceled E3, so fans may be able to expect really big announcements at the event.

As per Polygon, the festivities are set to start at 11 AM PDT/2 PM EDT on June 9th, with the opening presentation being hosted by The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley. The games which have been confirmed to appear are as follows:

• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 reboot

• Gotham Knights

• Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

• The Callisto Protocol

This live stream, according to Keighley, will reportedly focus only on "stuff that is announced." So fore those who might be expecting something big that hasn't been announced before, it might be best to temper your expectations a bit. The entire presentation might last around one-and-a-half to two hours, and will be followed by Devolver Digital's Devolver Direct presentation.

Here's everything else scheduled to happen, all of which can be watched on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook:

• June 10: IGN Expo (9 AM PDT/12 PM EDT); Netflix Geeked Week Games Showcase (10 AM PDT/1 PM PDT)

• June 11: Guerilla Collective 3 (8 AM PDT/11 AM EDT); Wholesome Games Direct (9:30 AM PDT/12:30 PM EDT); Future Games Show (12 PM PDT/3 PM EDT)

• June 12: Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase (10 AM PDT/1 PM EDT); PC Gaming Show (12:30 PM PDT/3:30 PM EDT)

• June 13: Guerilla Collective 3.5 (1 PM PDT/4 PM EDT); Capcom Showcase (3 PM PDT/6 PM EDT)

• June 14: Xbox Extended Games Showcase (10 AM PDT/1 PM EDT)

Related Article: A Comprehensive Introduction to Xbox Game Pass and its Features

Story posted on GameNGuide

Written by RJ Pierce