Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the Xbox Game Pass both for console and PC will be launching in Japan on April 14th, while South Korea is also set to receive the Xbox Game Pass for the PC on the same date. The announcement was by Xbox head Phil Spencer, via a YouTube video that was shot in his own office, due to the widespread quarantine caused by the COVID-19 virus.
Furthermore, Spencer elaborated that the arrival of the Xbox Game Pass in Japan is a step to strengthen its presence in Japan, especially since the video game market in the country is dominated by Japanese console manufacturers Sony and Nintendo. In the video, Spencer revealed that during the launch of the Xbox Game Pass in Japan, the service will include tons of Japanese games such as Devil May Cry 5, Ace Combat 7, and Tekken 7, as well as the popular Microsoft game, Minecraft, which Spencer revealed to be massive in Japan.
Moreover, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is a service that combines Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Live Gold into one solid package, will also be launched in Japan. The pricing of Microsoft’s services in Japan will be as follows: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ¥ 1,100/$10, Xbox Game Pass (console) ¥ 850/$8, and Xbox Game Pass (PC) ¥ 425/$4, and it is worth pointing out that the subscription prices in Japan are cheaper as compared to the United States.
