After Apple announced in the past week the launch of your own mobile game subscription service Apple Arcade, Google also announced Monday the launch of Google Play Pass, a subscription service that allows to Android users access more than 350 apps and games no advertising or in-app purchases.
Google service will be rolled out exclusively in the United States this week on Android phones and will soon be available in other countriesthe company said in an article on its blog.
Google plans to give users 10 days free and also plans to offer the first year at $ 1.99 per month.
Like the Google Play Family Library, subscribers can share their Play Pass membership with up to five other family members. Each person in this group can access the Play Pass, downloading what they do without affecting what you are playing.
So that your experience is unique, Play Pass offers a wide selection of familiar content. From Toca Boca classics to the My Town series, "says Austin Shoemaker, product manager for the Google Play group.
Google Play Pass offers hundreds of games and applications.
"Play Pass encourages people to experiment with new experiences that they would not otherwise experience," said Maria Sayans, CEO of Ustwo Games.
You'll find well-known apps and games like Terraria, Monument Valley, Risk, Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic, and AccuWeather. And others that you may know less like LIMBO, Lichtspeer, Mini Metro, Old Man's Journey and many more with new additions every month.
Play Store will come with a new "Play Pass" tab for subscribers. This is an additional way to help developers and studios with discovery, even in a field with more than 350 selections it shouldn't be that difficult to find a specific game.
The group's product manager, Austin Shoemaker said that Google will use an algorithm to present recommendations for apps and games based on how people interact with them.
The good thing about this is, for example, if you and five other members of your Family Library want to play Stardew Valley, you can ... even together in the same room and on the same network (although Shoemaker laughed when I asked if they had tried)
Google Play Pass is compatible with Android mobile devices, laptops and tablets with Play Store version 16.6.25 and higher, and Android version 4.4 and higher, in accordance with Google's FAQ .
Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade?
The service offered by Google is different from Apple. Google Play Pass includes apps and games, while Apple's Arcade, the service offered by Apple includes only games.
By paying the Apple Arcade subscription fee, subscribers will have access to all games for as long as they want.
Given this, the Android subscription service faces two problems. The first is that Android users are unwilling to spend so much on apps and games like iOS users.
One way or another, iOS users still manage to spend more than Google Play users, even if there are many, many more Google Play users. the
Multiple device compatibility Apple Arcade allows iOS gamers to pause an Apple Arcade game on their phone and then resume playback on another device or vice versa.
Apple's games catalog will have some exclusivity with Apple Arcade. Apple's approach differs significantly from some of the newer gaming services recently announced, particularly Google's Stadia service, which was unveiled at the 2019 game developers conference.
Stadia is intended for streaming games. Google says that participation in the program is by invitation only. However, a web form will be available in which developers who wish to participate can express their interest.