GamerBraves Newsletter vol. 38 – What Game Pass Coming to Southeast Asia Means for Gaming in The Region

Microsoft’s Game Pass is coming to Southeast Asia (SEA), bringing the region what is basically ‘Netflix for games. For only RM15 a month (and 0.5RM for the preview), Malaysians will have access to over 100+ games from the Xbox Libary including brand new first-party games from day one.

Many local gamers are already singing the praises of the service. More games for less pay. However it does make one wonder, how will this affect gaming in the region, especially against the long-dominant rival of Xbox, Playstation.

It should be noted that this release is specifically for PC game pass, not Xbox. The Xbox brand has traditionally not done well in Southeast Asia, seeing sales far below Playstation, Nintendo, and especially PC and mobile. Reasons for this are that Xbox consoles have not been officially released in the region (with the exception of Singapore) and the cultural dominance of Playstation and Nintendo. Japanese products and media are popular here, and as such, the two Japanese consoles tend to be more popular the the ‘Halo Machine’.

Game Pass coming to SEA, however, has a chance to change this. The Netflix subscription service-style of media distribution has changed how people consume media. More people don’t want to spend money on multiple individual products. The idea of an all-in-one platform for all your media needs is incredibly attractive with its practicality. What does mean for Game Pass in Southeast Asia, and what is Sony doing to compete with it? Find out by signing up for our newsletter below (it’s free):

Give it a read and let us know what you think!