Microsoft is offering members of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate program a three-month free trial of Apple TV+ and Apple Music before the holiday season. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate typically costs $14.99 and comes with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks, which offers subscribers discounts, and special offers for a wide range of services, apps, and games. In its latest bonus, Microsoft, in partnership with Apple, is giving Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers three months free of Apple TV+ and Apple Music. The promotion is valid until March 31, 2023. More information on the promotion can be found on Xbox's website.

Article Link: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members Can Get a 3-Month Free Trial of Apple TV+ and Apple Music

Well that’s certainly ironic considering how Apple is blocking Game Pass streaming from the App Store.

Apple TV+ & Music trials are fast becoming the AOL CDs of the modern age.

Nice. Been wanting to catch up on some Apple TV shows 3 months is more than i need

So does this mean Apple will stop blocking Microsoft having a Xcloud app (which doesn't even have in-app purchases) on iOS?

NightFox said:

Apple TV+ & Music trials are fast becoming the AOL CDs of the modern age.

Yep. Apple seems desperate trying to make something of it’s crappy services.

Just to say it states on the Xbox rewards page these offers are for new subscribers only. So I’ll miss out.

I tried to use it and it took me to apple log in told me my account was locked and when i unlocked it the promotion was gone! FFS

Ok, but can I use the Xbox game pass on an Apple TV? Now that would get me to subscribe!

Reason077 said:

Ok, but can I use the Xbox game pass on an Apple TV? Now that would get me to subscribe!

I believe Microsoft is planning to bring xCloud to smart TV's at some point. So you can play Xbox games directly from your TV.

For Apple TV, that is up to Apple as Microsoft is willing but Apple is not.

Pretty sure I got 3months Apple TV free with a packet of potato chips last week. Shame it’s new customers only. Otherwise I could just add them all up and I’d never pay for it.

cardfan said:

Yep. Apple seems desperate trying to make something of it’s crappy services.

But not quite desperate enough to actually give them the improvements we’ve been begging for.

jabbawok said:

Pretty sure I got 3months Apple TV free with a packet of potato chips last week. Shame it’s new customers only. Otherwise I could just add them all up and I’d never pay for it.

Seems the most recent offers actually do apply to existing customers (but not existing Apple One customers.)

Guess they really just want to prop up those streaming numbers.

Haha, what is this, a crossover episode?

Jeaz said:

Well that’s certainly ironic considering how Apple is blocking Game Pass streaming from the App Store.

What's ironic? Streaming games should be and can be done on all browsers. Streaming sucks anyway for fighting and racing games. I download everything on my Xbox Series X and PS5.

If Games Pass app did streaming then all game devs would do the same and there would be no more native game development on iOS or macOS. Please don't say you don't want to see native developed games happen.

cardfan said:

Yep. Apple seems desperate trying to make something of it’s crappy services.

$10B increase in revenue in Services year over year, nearing 1 billion subscribers. If you think Apple is desperate you don’t know what that word means.

I feel like Microsoft are doing well integrating and promoting Apple, even with the iCloud Photos integration to windows software.

However I’m seeing nothing from apple offering assistance to Microsoft.

Zest28 said:

I believe Microsoft is planning to bring xCloud to smart TV's at some point. So you can play Xbox games directly from your TV.

For Apple TV, that is up to Apple as Microsoft is willing but Apple is not.

Yes, but on what models? I have a 2018 LG C whatever. So 4-5 years old. It's still in perfect condition and delivers tremendous quality for movies and games even if it lacks small stuff (for me) like VRR and HDMI2.1 which wouldn't be used anyways for cloud gaming.

Problem is, LG doesn't want to give more updates to it since it wouldn't help selling more new TVs. I suspect it will ne them with other brands. Also Microsoft just axed its chromecast-like project for the GamePass.

To date, best and simplest option remains to buy a Series S if you want to play streaming games.

Consume, consume, consume... it's exhausting.

ponzicoinbro said:

What's ironic? Streaming games should be and can be done on all browsers. Streaming sucks anyway for fighting and racing games. I download everything on my Xbox Series X and PS5.

If Games Pass app did streaming then all game devs would do the same and there would be no more native game development on iOS or macOS. Please don't say you don't want to see native developed games happen.

lol come on now. Those of us who game aren't spending money on Apple-specific ports anyway. I don't, and won't. While I'd like the freedom to play streamed games on my Apple devices without Apple's arbitrary rent-seeking and App Store roadblocks, I already own a Series X and a Switch, and subscribe to Game Pass. If Apple doesn't want me to use their devices for gaming without paying a tithe, they're fully within their rights to do so, but then I'm going to spend my gaming money and time accordingly, then, with zero going to any Apple platform.

Krizoitz said:

$10B increase in revenue in Services year over year, nearing 1 billion subscribers. If you think Apple is desperate you don’t know what that word means.

You do realize Apple pays for promotions like this, right? Microsoft isn't doing it out of the goodness of its heart. Just like developers pay to be featured in those puffy App Store advertorials. Video and Music streaming in particular are cut-throat businesses with a lot of competition. So Apple has no choice but to promote aggressively because people have choices and will exercise those choices. I've never once paid for even a single month of AppleTV+, for example, managing to string together free offers like this one to watch the handful of shows (Ted Lasso, etc.) I have interest in.

Strong competition means the power is with us as consumers, not Apple (or anyone else), as it should be.

cateye said:

lol come on now. Those of us who game aren't spending money on Apple-specific ports anyway. I don't, and won't. While I'd like the freedom to play streamed games on my Apple devices without Apple's arbitrary rent-seeking and App Store roadblocks, I already own a Series X and a Switch, and subscribe to Game Pass. If Apple doesn't want me to use their devices for gaming without paying a tithe, they're fully within their rights to do so, but then I'm going to spend my gaming money and time accordingly, then, with zero going to any Apple platform.

There's no come on now 😝

If the Game Pass app could stream the Game Pass library then a lot of developers won't port their apps to macOS or iOS anymore. They will develop once for Xbox and then stream to all other platforms.

We know that would happen because a lot of Xbox games aren't available natively on Windows. They can only be streamed to PCs. Same would happen to iOS and macOS. No more ports.

And that would suck. So many devs would follow. Develop game for either Xbox or Playstation, stream to all other platforms.

We are fighting to get Mac and iOS ports for how many years already. The only reason Resident Evil even came was because Apple threw a ton of money at Capcom.

ponzicoinbro said:

We are fighting to get Mac and iOS ports for how many years already. The only reason Resident Evil even came was because Apple threw a ton of money at Capcom.

And for their efforts, they'll sell mid-five figures of copies, if that. The game is over a year old, it's irrelevant. In the absence of an AppleTV+ style investment—hundreds of millions of dollars—there's not going to be A-level gaming on Apple platforms.

If "I want to game, but it has to be on an Apple platform," is your requirement, then streaming is going to be the only realistic solution. I get your hesitancy, but erecting artificial roadblocks to allowing streaming (no browser on AppleTV, no streaming apps allowed in the App Store) is not going to somehow "protect" A-level gaming on Apple platforms, because there already isn't any.

Krizoitz said:

$10B increase in revenue in Services year over year, nearing 1 billion subscribers. If you think Apple is desperate you don’t know what that word means.

Much of that is simply app sales, AppleCare, google payments. It isn’t apple news, arcade or especially atv plus.

Of course apple is desperate to get atv plus going. It’s a loss for apple.

NightFox said:

Apple TV+ & Music trials are fast becoming the AOL CDs of the modern age.

Or the 8 CDs for $0.99 Columbia House.

Dredd67 said:

Yes, but on what models? I have a 2018 LG C whatever. So 4-5 years old. It's still in perfect condition and delivers tremendous quality for movies and games even if it lacks small stuff (for me) like VRR and HDMI2.1 which wouldn't be used anyways for cloud gaming.

Problem is, LG doesn't want to give more updates to it since it wouldn't help selling more new TVs. I suspect it will ne them with other brands. Also Microsoft just axed its chromecast-like project for the GamePass.

To date, best and simplest option remains to buy a Series S if you want to play streaming games.

Consume, consume, consume... it's exhausting.

Click to expand...

Yea we own nothing and love it