Today, Google has announced a new service called Google Play Pass, which will cost $4.99 per month. The service will give Android users access to over 350 games and apps which will be served ad free and without any in-app purchases. For those who choose to try it out, Google will give 10 days free and is also planning on offering the first year at $1.99 per month. The sad part is that it will initially only launch in the US this week and other countries “soon.”
This is Google’s answer to Apple Arcade service, but Google’s take on the app subscription model is a little different from Apple. Firstly, Google Play pass includes apps as well as games. Secondly, Google isn’t directly funding development their development nor demanding exclusivity.
At launch, all of the apps and games included in Google Play Pass were already available on the Play Store and will continue to be available as standalone purchases (or ad-supported). If you’ve previously installed any app that’s included in the service and sign up, your current app should automatically have its ads removed and its in-app purchases unlocked.
The Google Play Store will soon begin showing a small, multi-colored ticket next to apps that are included in the Play Pass bundle, showing subscribers that it’s free and enticing non-subscribers to sign up.
It should be noted that the new subscription service can be shared with up to five family members and also integrate with Google’s parental controls for the Play Store. Unlike Apple, Google isn’t requiring more stringent privacy standards from apps included in Play Pass — though the removal of all ads is a big step forward for many of them.
Fortunately, developers shouldn’t need to do a lot of work to make their apps compatible with Google Play Pass. The company says that as long as apps use standard APIs for ads and in-app purchases, it should be a simple switchover — either way, developers shouldn’t need to ship two separate versions of their app.
