Microsoft’s decision to uncouple entertainment apps from Xbox Live Gold may rankle a few fans—after all, some people paid so they could watch Netflix or Hulu on their Microsoft gaming console.
But if you did, you’re probably wondering why your hard-earned cash should go to Microsoft, when practically every other streaming-capable console on the planet offered entertainment apps for free. Well, good news: Microsoft will refund your money for your trouble, if you want.
In a FAQ describing the changes, noted by The Next Web and others, Microsoft says that it will offer a refund for users who choose to drop Xbox Live Gold in favor of the free tier.
Will I be able to cancel my Gold membership?
Yes. 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. Cancellation and pro-rata refund requests must be made by August 31, 2014 and require six to eight weeks for processing. Free or trial Gold memberships are not eligible for a refund. To request your pro-rata refund, please click http://support.xbox.com/contact-us after the system updates become available in June
Microsoft outlined the changes in a blog post on Tuesday, where new Xbox chief Phil Spencer, who now heads the Xbox business, said that the company has “heard that you want more choices from Xbox One.”
“You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection,” Spencer added.
Microsoft representatives said that Spencer was not available for an interview to explain the new changes to Xbox Live Gold. That’s fine, in a way, given that we ourselves explained why Microsoft should change Xbox Live Gold including making those entertainment apps free, about two weeks before Microsoft made those changes public.
Microsoft also published an infographic explaining the new changes. (Click to enlarge the chart.)
Microsoft