‘Xbox Gold no longer needed for watching Netflix and Hulu’

Soon, Xbox users would no longer need a Gold subscription to watch Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services. According to ArsTechnica, several Microsoft employees have been notified of the plans.

The new strategy would apply to both Xbox One and Xbox 360 users. ArsTechnica’s sources further believe that other services, previously accessible without Gold, may just disappear behind a paywall. Microsoft would like to compensate for the loss of revenue. It is not clear which services are involved.

It is likely that Microsoft will provide more clarity at E3, which takes place in early June, about the future of the use of paywalls for streaming services and other content. It comes as no surprise that Microsoft wants to make the streaming services free; Sony and Nintendo have never charged a monthly fee for access to services like Netflix.

The Xbox Live Gold subscription is primarily intended for online gaming and recording gameplay with the new Xbox One. Users who want to call on their Xbox via Skype must also be in possession of a gold subscription.