Microsoft Offers Xbox Live Gold Refunds

Microsoft has announced that it will offer refunds to gamers who bought subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold specifically to use certain apps that will soon be accessible without a Gold subscription.

Starting next month, apps like Hulu Plus, Netflix, Twitch, ESPN, and HBO GO will be accessible on the Xbox without an Xbox Live Gold membership. The news irked those who had just ponied up for a Gold account, but not to worry.

"Once the Xbox One and Xbox 360 system updates become available in June, Xbox Live Gold members who purchased a paid membership before that day can cancel and receive a pro-rata refund of any unused remaining days between the date of cancellation and the date their paid Gold membership ends," Microsoft said on its support site. "Cancellation and pro-rata refund requests must be made by August 31, 2014 and require six to eight weeks for processing."

Microsoft has not announced an official update launch date, but once it's live, you can file a claim via Microsoft's standard support page.

Microsoft will also officially launch its Xbox Live Gold program for Xbox One games in June. Similar to Sony's PlayStation Plus program, gamers will be given a set number of free games each month that they can download and play. The caveat is that they have to keep their Gold subscriptions to Xbox Live active in order to continue playing.

That's a bit different than how Microsoft treats its Games With Gold program for Xbox 360 owners. There, gamers are welcome to download and play the monthly free games as much as they want. Dropping one's Gold subscription only cuts off access to the monthly titles; it doesn't render that which you've previously downloaded unplayable.

:story: PC Magazine