Soon you might be able to access hundreds of Google Play apps for $4.99 a month

Woo-hoo, another subscription service.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
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Google's app and game store Google Play might soon become yet another subscription service on your (likely never-ending) list.

Android Police reports that Google is testing a subscription service for Play, called Google Play Pass. Google has confirmed the test, which would allow users to access "hundreds" of apps from the Play catalog for $4.99 a month.

"Access hundreds of premium apps and games, with no ads or in-app purchases," says Google's blurb for the service, as seen on screenshots posted by Android Police. "No commitments. Cancel anytime. Family plan available."

The copy quite clearly states that you won't be getting anything close to access to everything within Google Play; instead, expect a "curated catalog spanning puzzle games to premium music apps and everything in between."

The service comes with a 10-day free trial.

While Google mentions both apps and games, the selection seems to skew towards the entertainment side of things. Some of the games included are Limbo, Stardew Valley, Marvel Pinball, and Ticket to Ride.

With various subscription services piling up -- Apple launched a couple major ones this year, and Play Pass appears to be quite similar to the upcoming Apple Arcade -- it's going to get harder and harder to get users to swallow another one. This especially goes for apps and games, where tastes and needs of users vary wildly. But then again, Google surely has the metrics to understand what would and what wouldn't work as a subscription. In the end, the success of Play Pass will likely mostly depend on how good the deal is.

Topics Gaming

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

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