It appears the rumors are true. Xbox head Phil Spencer has just announced that they are tearing down the Golden Paywall–at least for entertainment apps.
In under a month, you’ll be able to stream Netflix (and all other entertainment apps) without a subscription to Xbox Live Gold.
“Xbox 360 has been a leader in delivering entertainment experiences for years, with over 170 global entertainment apps and experiences available today. We’re constantly adding new partners and experiences to the growing catalog on Xbox One. 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,” says Spencer.
The one caveat is that some services will only be available to non-Gold members on the Xbox One–this includes Skype, OneGuide, and Twitch Broadcast.
But for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners–you can now stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, Amazon Prime Instant Video, WatchESPN, YouTube and all of your favorite streaming video apps without Xbox Live Gold (as long as you have the requisite subscription to the particular service, obviously).
And with the addition of Internet Explorer to the non-Gold lineup, you can now do all the internetting you want on your Xbox without that pesky Gold subscription–well, everything except online multiplayer. This will all go into effect on June 9th.
In other Xbox news, Microsoft also announced that they will be selling a Kinect-less version of the Xbox One for $399.
Image via Xbox.com