Xbox Game Pass members will now have the ability to pre-load upcoming titles ahead of their release, according to a tweet from Corporate Vice President of Xbox Mike Ybarra. Crackdown 3 is the first title to feature pre-loading and it’s available to download right now.
Pre-loading is a feature that many enjoy with their digital purchases. When you pre-load a game, you are able to play it immediately at launch without waiting for the full game to download.
One of the biggest asks we’ve had for @XboxGamePass was to allow pre-load (pre-install) so you can download and be ready the second launch happens. It’s available now – and starts with Crackdown 3 on Xbox and Windows. 💪👍👌👊
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) November 13, 2018
While Crackdown 3 doesn’t release until February, Ybarra confirmed that the feature will also be available for games that release sooner. When asked if Mutant Year Zero, a game that releases on Xbox Game Pass on Dec. 4, would be available to pre-load, Ybarra responded with a simple, “Yeah, it will work.”
In addition to announcing pre-loading, Ybarra also hinted at the possibility on Xbox Game Pass making its way to PC. Here is the tweet:
https://twitter.com/XboxQwik/status/1062373788174692352
As we previously reported, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the companies plans to expand Xbox Game Pass to PC during an earnings call earlier this year. We have no official word on the status of this change or when it might be implemented.
Last weekend, Microsoft held their Xbox X018 event in Mexico City where they announced multiple previously released and upcoming games being added to Xbox Game Pass in the coming months. These games include PUBG, which is available right now, Hellblade, Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Agents of Mayhem, Thomas Was Alone and more.
For a rundown of the other big announcements at X018, check out our stories on new studio acquisitions, the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy becoming backwards compatible, a new mode for Devil May Cry V and the return of the Hundred Acre Wood in Kingdom Hearts III.
