CrossCode recently released on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, and Xbox players were able to choose the game on Xbox Game Pass. As a result, this last option has been by far the most popular for new players.
Speaking to the Duel Screens video podcast, CrossCode designer and programmer Felix Klein explained that the game surprised them with its performance on Xbox Game Pass. He says that when the PC version was available in Game Pass for Windows 10, not many people were playing it, but now that it’s on the console, that has changed.
“We are actually pretty surprised how many people play that way,” says Klein, just after the 43-minute mark in the video below. When asked if he can give more details, he says he is comfortably outperforming the other systems. “Right now, there are more people playing on Game Pass than Switch and PS4 combined. That’s something I didn’t see coming.”
While this may not be too surprising on the surface, it’s worth noting that the install base on Xbox One is much lower than the combined figures for PS4 and Switch. Concrete Xbox One sales figures aren’t available, but the data suggests it’s well below PS4’s 110 million, and Nintendo Switch’s lifetime sales (55 million) are likely to be higher, too.
Recently, No Man’s Sky developer Hello Games reported that the game had gained 1 million new players since it hit Game Pass. While you may think that it is better to get a paying customer, there is some evidence to suggest that Game Pass generates higher sales – the Descenders developer attributes Game Pass with higher sales figures.
In April, Microsoft said Game Pass has 10 million subscribers, and with Xbox Series X on the horizon, and Game Pass front and center in marketing, it is likely to increase further. Here’s why Xbox Game Pass could be Microsoft’s secret weapon in the future.
