Posted on May 13, 2014, Ron Whitaker Microsoft May No Longer Require Gold for Streaming Apps (CONFIRMED)
UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed that many streaming apps will no longer require a Gold membership. In a post on the Xbox Wire, MS wrote,
Coming in June, anyone with an Xbox will be able to access popular entertainment experiences – whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. This includes great gaming apps like Machinima, Twitch and Upload, popular video services like Netflix, Univision Deportes, GoPro, Red Bull TV and HBO GO, sports experiences like the NFL app for Xbox One, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and more. Microsoft experiences including Internet Explorer, Skype, OneDrive and OneGuide will also be available to all Xbox customers.
Obviously, not all of these are available on 360, but it’s a still a long-overdue step forward for Microsoft.
Original Story:
If a rumor making the rounds of the internet is true, Microsoft may soon allow Xbox owners to use apps like Netflix and Hulu without having a subscription to Xbox Live Gold.
According to a post on Ars Technica, multiple sources have told the site that Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners will be able to stream Netflix, Hulu, and other media streaming apps without a Live Gold subscription.
While this news is exciting, it’s offset by the fact that other sources have told Ars that Xbox may move other services behind the paywall to make up for the change. There’s no word yet on what services might be moved, or if the services moved behind the paywall would be new ones yet to be added.
If this change is real, you can bet that it will be announced with great fanfare at Microsoft’s E3 press conference. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update with any response we receive.