What is Xbox Game Pass and how much does it cost? How to get a free trial and full guide
If you're wondering what all the Xbox Game Pass fuss is about, and how much it's going to cost you, read on.
What is Xbox Game Pass and how much is it? You've come to the right place for some intel along those lines.
One day, the lovely people at Microsoft sat there and thought that what we gamers really need is a pay monthly subscription service where we get access to a whopping amount of incredible games - they were right.
Game Pass has evolved since it began but the value for money has only got better with a large library of titles to download - and even the latest Xbox big-hitters like Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite.
But how much does it cost to sign up to Game Pass, and what is Game Pass Ultimate all about? We have the lowdown for you on all that and more below.
What is Xbox Game Pass?
Xbox Game Pass is often described as the 'Netflix of games', and it's easy to see why. It's an affordable subscription service that grants its members access to a library of games both new and old.
At the last count, Xbox Game Pass was said to host over 300 games. A fresh batch of games is generally added to the service every month, with April 2021 bringing Outriders, GTA 5 and several other titles onto Xbox Game Pass.
Whenever a big new game comes out from one of the developers that Microsoft owns (collectively known as Xbox Game Studios), it tends to arrive on Xbox Game Pass on the day it launches, at no extra cost to members of the service.
Also, the entire EA Play library was also folded into Xbox Game Pass last year, which means you can access heaps of EA titles through the service as well. There is so much to play!
You can access Xbox Game Pass on an Xbox One, Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console. There is also a PC version of Xbox Game Pass, which is available to download as an app on any Windows 10 computer or laptop. And you can even play some Xbox Game Pass games on mobile devices, thanks to the Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta.
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How much does Xbox Game Pass cost?
A basic Xbox Game Pass membership will cost you £7.99 a month, if you go through the official app on your PC or console, and that gives you access to all the games that are included in the service's main library. But the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price is not too much more, at £10.99 a month, and that gets you every game in the library, plus the other perks that come with EA Play and being a Gold member.
Can you get an Xbox Game Pass free trial?
You can indeed get a free trial for Xbox Game Pass! To take advantage of this, the best thing to do is to head into Xbox Game Pass on your console or device of choice, sign up as a new customer, and there will normally be a trial version of Game Pass ready to join.
If you aren't a new customer, though, then all hope is not lost – there are often loads of Xbox Game Pass deals floating around the web, including the ones we've rounded up below.
Check out some of the best Xbox Game Pass deals from CDKeys below:
- Get one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £10.99
- Get three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £29.99
- Get six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £43.99
- Get 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £109.99
Which Xbox Game Pass tier is best for you?
If you're interested in signing up for Xbox Game Pass, you'll soon notice that there are three different options to choose from: Console, PC, and Ultimate. Which of these will be best for you? Well, it's a matter of where you play your games, and how badly you want those extra perks.
The Console version of Xbox Game Pass gives you access to a decent library of games on your console of choice, including all of the new first-party games from Xbox Game Studios. You'll also get member discounts in the Microsoft Store. However, you won't get access to the EA Play library, and you also won't get Xbox Live Gold included in your package (which means you won't get the monthly Games With Gold, and you also won't get online multiplayer).
The PC version of Xbox Game Pass has all the same perks as the Console version, except you'll be playing all those games on PC instead. With the PC version, you do get EA Play, which means lots of extra games to choose from, and also free trials to EA's most recent titles.
The Ultimate version of Xbox Game Pass gets you everything that Microsoft has to offer. You get the full library of games on console and PC, including the Games With Gold and EA Play offerings. You get online multiplayer with Xbox Live Gold. And you also get the ability to play games on an Android mobile phone through the Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta.
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Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
