Microsoft is expanding its Xbox All Access program to include an upgrade option for Xbox Scarlett.
For those who don’t know, the Xbox All Access program allows you to essentially finance an Xbox console by paying for it over a period of 24 months. You also get access to Game Pass Ultimate as a part of the deal, which includes access to Game Pass and Xbox Live. The prices of these plans vary based on which Xbox console you’re financing.
Now, Xbox is offering an interesting upgrade option that will seemingly allow you to transfer your All Access program to the Xbox Scarlett once the Xbox team’s next-gen console is released. The details are a little strange, (partially because Microsoft hasn’t revealed the price or release date for the Xbox Scarlett just yet), but there are a few basic requirements that All Access users must meet before they’re eligible for an Xbox Scarlett upgrade.
First off, you will need to have made at least 18 payments to your existing All Access plan in order to eventually transfer your account to a next-gen upgrade. That number is quite fascinating. Unless Microsoft is going to release their next-gen console in 2021, it sounds like you’ll need to continue paying for your current-gen Xbox after the release of the Xbox Scarlett in order to eligible for this upgrade (unless you’re already making All Access payments). That waiting period has temporarily been reduced to 12 months if you’ve made 12 payments for an Xbox One X, which would seemingly be your best way to get in on the Scarlett at (or near) launch if you’re interested in doing so.
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There are some additional rules and restrictions to consider. If you’re using All Access to pay for an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (the cheapest current plan available), then you will need to pay a $20 upgrade before swapping to Scarlett. You’ll also need to return your current-gen Xbox console, power cords, and controllers before making your upgrade (they’ll also need to be in “working order). It sounds like that even applies to people who have “paid-off” their console, but the language of the early agreement leaves some room for doubt regarding whether or not that is the case. This upgraded All Access plan will be available via Amazon in the US starting on November 18.
This is honestly a strange upgrade option. The appeal of the original All Access program was the fact that you could make monthly payments for an Xbox and its associated services and the fact that it actually ended up being cheaper to purchase all of those things via the service than if you bought them outright. Again, considering that we don’t know the costs or release date for the Xbox Scarlett (or even what the full details of this next-gen upgrade option are), then it’s hard to say whether this is an appealing next-gen upgrade option.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.