Xbox Game Pass explained: games list, price and how to get it

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Xbox Game Pass is a wonderful thing and has pretty much changed the landscape of gaming for the better.

Like PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium and Nintendo Switch Online, it offers a vast collection of full games for Xbox consoles – Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One – that can be downloaded and played to your heart’s desire for a monthly fee.

And, if you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you also get additional Xbox games, access to EA Play, Xbox Live Gold for online play, PC Game Pass with 100s of additional Windows titles, and Xbox’s own Cloud Gaming service, so you can play many of the titles over the internet without having to download them first. They can be played on mobile devices, too.

Here’s everything you need to know about Xbox Game Pass, how much it’ll cost you and the current list of games you can enjoy.

How much is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

Xbox Game Pass is available in two price plans, with a third coming on 14 September 2023 (you can read more about that below). Of the two that are available now, one only gets you access to the games library to download, but none of the other benefits included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

After a recent price hike, Xbox Game Pass Console membership will cost new subscribers $10.99 / £8.99 per month.

However, if you can stretch to $16.99 / £12.99 per month for full Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, not only do you get the games, you also get Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Cloud Gaming, EA Play and PC Game Pass. Even if you don’t own a gaming PC, the additional monthly spend is still well worth it.

There are a couple of other points to remember – the price rise is yet to hit existing members, who can still pay the original prices until 13 August 2023. Also, if you buy a code from Amazon, you can still get a month’s Ultimate membership for £10.99 – so it’s worth checking out before that is raised too.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month membership

Get a whole month’s worth of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in voucher form. A three-month code is also available.

£10.99

In addition, Xbox is currently trialling a Family & Friends plan in select countries – Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden. This enables up to four additional people to be added to the same membership, although it is not yet clear how much more it’ll cost in the US and UK. In Ireland, it is priced at €9 more than regular Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.

What is Xbox Game Pass Core?

Xbox Game Pass Core is a new tier coming on 14 September 2023. It replaces the existing Xbox Live Gold subscription and will cost $9.99 / £6.99 per month and any members of that plan will instantly gain access to Core instead.

For your money, you get access to online multiplayer play on many thousands of games (much like with Xbox Live Gold). However, it will not give you a couple of free games each month. Instead, the long-running Games with Gold scheme will be replaced entirely. Xbox Game Pass Core members will have access to a pool of more than 25 games instead.

The confirmed games so far are:

Among Us
Descenders
Dishonored 2
Doom Eternal
Fable Anniversary
Fallout 4
Fallout 76
Forza Horizon 4
Gears 5
Grounded
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo Wars 2
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Human Fall Flat
Inside
Ori & The Will of the Wisps
Psychonauts 2
State of Decay 2
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

Additional games will be added two or three times a year. Plus, all games redeemed through Games with Gold over the years will continue to be playable as long as you remain a member.

Some discounts and other Game Pass member benefits will be available to Core members too.

How to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

It’s easy to sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. You can do so on your Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One console, or alternative head to a dedicated page through a mobile browser. Just head here if you are in the US, or here for those in the UK.

You will need a Microsoft account, but you’re likely to already have one if you already own an Xbox and play games on it.

One other way to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is as part of an Xbox All Access payment plan. This includes the games membership scheme with a purchase of an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console. You pay one monthly fee in total and you get the console and access to 100s of games to play on it. It is available in both the US, and the UK.