Xbox Live members still looking for that perfect game to pick up during the console’s ongoing summer sale may have received a little incentive straight from Microsoft to start spending. Select subscribers – it’s not currently clear how the company is determining who is eligible – have reported finding messages in their account inboxes from the software giant itself, offering a free $5 credit on their next purchase via Xbox One’s digital storefront.
To find out if you’re the recipient of the unexpected free gift, simply log in, either directly from your console or the Xbox Live website, and check your messages for any sign of the promotion. Should you find that no such correspondence has so far been sent, it might be worth keeping an eye out as, again, it’s currently unclear how these are being distributed. It could be the case that the platform holder is sending them out in waves and therefore requires some patience on the consumer’s end.
As for what you can spend that credit on, over 400 games are currently available as part of the Xbox Summer Sale, some of which have been discounted by up to 75%. It’s worth noting, however, that many of the titles available are also free to download and play for Game Pass subscribers, so if you maintain an active membership, it’s worth seeking out a desired game that isn’t available on the latter. You have until August 24th until this particular promotion ends, though, so there’s still plenty of time to make a decision.
In related news, Microsoft recently confirmed, following the emergence of several rumors suggesting the contrary, that Xbox Live Gold will be sticking around for the foreseeable future, and that recent changes to user service agreements were little more than an innocent rebrand. See here for the full story.