What is Xbox Game Pass?
At first glance, all Xbox Game Pass services may seem to offer the same thing. And in many ways, they do. All of them are subscription services that unlock a variety of AAA and indie games for one monthly fee. The major differences are which games are included, where you can play these games, and what extra features are included. It’s also worth remembering that there are four services here: Xbox Game Pass Core, Xbox Game Pass Standard, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Here’s a quick summary of each, although we’ll go into more detail below.
- Xbox Game Pass Core: This replaces Xbox Live Gold, enabling online play on consoles and access to a small library of about 25 games.
- Xbox Game Pass Standard: The console version unlocks a much larger catalog of console games and online play, but does not include day-one access to new games.
- PC Game Pass: This unlocks a large catalog of PC games, plus EA Play titles and day-one access to new games.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: The top-tier service includes online multiplayer on consoles, both the console and PC game catalogs, plus a few extras like EA Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
What features do Xbox Game Pass/Ultimate have?
The core feature for all Game Pass subscriptions is access to a library of games at one monthly price. While subscribed, you can download and play games from over 100 fantastic titles on your PC, mobile device, or Xbox console (depending on the subscription). For the Standard and PC version of Xbox Game Pass, that’s precisely what you’re paying for. If you just want to play multiplayer games online, there’s a slightly cheaper plan called Xbox Game Pass Core, which replaced Xbox Live Gold in September 2023. This subscription costs .99/month or .99/year. Granted, you no longer need a subscription to play free-to-play games online, including heavy-hitters like PUBG, Fortnite, and Halo: Infinite.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is on the other side of the spectrum. The premium subscription bundles Xbox Game Pass Console, PC Game Pass, online multiplayer, and Xbox Cloud Gaming (more on this later) into a single service.
What titles are included in Xbox Game Pass?
There is a lot of confusion about the Xbox Game Pass game library. In theory, the list of games for Xbox Game Pass vs Ultimate is more or less the same. However, if you check the official list online, it combines four separate libraries: PC titles, console titles, cloud gaming titles, and EA Play titles. Of course, if you subscribe to Ultimate, you gain instant access to all these. Those who opt for the cheaper Game Pass subscriptions might not get the full picture. To check each category, enable the filter for console, PC, or cloud-enabled games. Also, remember that the console titles include EA Play games, which are not included with a standard Game Pass subscription.
Each library constantly shifts, with new games added and old ones removed every month. Microsoft announces removals well in advance, so you have plenty of time to try or finish them. There are discounts to buy games leaving Game Pass, so watch for those if you want to keep playing.
To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a short list of some of the best games on Xbox Game Pass:
- Back 4 Blood
- Cities: Skylines
- Dead Cells
- Deathloop
- Doom Eternal
- FIFA 23
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Horizon 5
- Gears 5
- Grid Legends
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Halo: Infinite
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Hollow Knight
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Minecraft Dungeons
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Perfect Dark
- Prey
- Psychonauts 2
- Rage 2
- Slay the Spire
- Spelunky 2
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Tetris Effect: Connected
- Yakuza series (all titles)
How is cloud gaming on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
Without a doubt, the biggest difference between the cheaper Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and Game Pass Ultimate is Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly called Project xCloud). Although it’s still technically in beta, it allows you to play AAA games from the comfort of your mobile device, PC, or even your Steam Deck. Currently, the only way to access Microsoft’s game streaming is with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The streaming tech itself isn’t as impressive as GeForce Now (it’s limited to 720p on mobile and 1080p on PC for now), but it includes hundreds of games out of the box, giving it a huge lead. The upgrade to Xbox Series X hardware in the cloud mean it will eventually surpass most competitors, at least in raw power. Streaming performance, however, is still a bit choppy as of 2024.
Cloud gaming is poised to revolutionize how we consume games, and if you want to be on the cutting edge, you’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate. It’s also flexible, allowing you to play on your mobile device with a standard Xbox controller or grab a dedicated mobile controller like the Razer Kishi Xbox Edition for even more portability. Some games support touch controls so you can play on your phone without any accessories.
Xbox Game Pass vs Ultimate: Which is best?
The main consideration when comparing Xbox Game Pass vs Ultimate is where you want to game. If you can afford it, Game Pass Ultimate is a better choice if you plan on playing on a console. The added value of day-one games is a big deal. If you just want to play console games online, Xbox Game Pass Core and Standard may work out to be a better value. The price increase on the Ultimate subscription in 2024 makes it much harder to recommend for anyone on a tight budget.
As of 2024, Game Pass Ultimate isn’t as good a value as it once was.
The situation shifts when it comes to pure PC gamers. Most of the added benefits of Ultimate (namely EA Play and online multiplayer) are either included or irrelevant for PC gamers, so there isn’t much reason to upgrade. it’s also cheaper per month, a significant amount. That said, you can only access Xbox Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which might tip the scales for fans of emerging game streaming tech (unless you’re already using GeForce Now).
The other big deciding factor is cloud gaming on your phone or your Samsung smart TV. Playing Xbox games on your phone or via a TV without a console is just really cool, and it will only get better as time goes on. Cloud games are also taken from the console library, so it’s the only way to play console-only games that aren’t included in PC Game Pass.
