Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family is available in New Zealand – not the US

Update: An earlier version of this article stated that the Game Pass Friends & Family plan was available in the USA, but that was an error. An updated version of the article follows:

Xbox Friends & Family subscription model for Xbox Game Pass has arrived in New Zealand, meaning you can share an account between five people for around NZ$40, but it's not available in the USA just yet.

The plan has been available in other countries for a number of months, and although we first thought that Twitter user Jawmuncher discovered that its launch in the USA (via their original tweet), it turns out that their system had been left on Microsoft New Zealand's store in error and the price shown was in New Zealand dollars. The price of NZ$40 sounded higher than we expected it to be when originally read in US currency, but after conversion, it still works out to an average of US$25 per subscription.

With Netflix having cracked down on password sharing earlier this year, it seems Microsoft has recognised our penchant for cost-cutting workarounds when it comes to monthly subscription services. Split evenly between five people, the NZ$39.95 price tag for a Family & Friends plan doesn't sound too bad. Round it up by 5 cents, it would work out to an even split of NZ$8 per person, per month – not too shabby if you have friends and family who can actually commit to paying you back. If not, well, I wouldn't want to foot the bill for this one.

Given how Xbox recently scrapped its first three months discount, the Family & Friends plan could be an enviable option if you're looking to shave down your monthly Game Pass expenses.

Check out the best games on Xbox Game Pass if you're on the lookout for what to play next.