At face value, the main purpose of Xbox Game Pass is to provide subscribers with a sizable list of titles that can be downloaded and played free of charge. However, there are many other seriously beneficial perks that come with the service and its different tiers of subscriptions.
RELATED: Xbox Game Pass Adds 2 New Games Today, Includes Day One Release
Xbox Game Pass’ Selection of Games
As previously mentioned, the base-level allure of Xbox Game Pass is that it provides players with a seriously impressive list of titles that can be played for free as part of the service. In all, the service boasts over 100 titles from across different gaming generations, covering all genres and scales of development.
The Xbox Game Pass service continuously cycles what games are in its collection, meaning players are consistently met with new experiences to try out, as older games are retired and fresh ones are added in their stead. While there are a plethora of titles that are accessible on console, there is also a PC Game Pass which boasts its own exclusive games. For example, the recent Xbox and Bethesda showcased confirmed that Valorant and League of Legends would be coming to the PC side of Game Pass, complete with every agent and champion already unlocked.
Xbox Game Pass’ Day-one Titles
The sheer value of Xbox Game Pass is typified in the fact that all games that come under the Xbox Game Studios name are released for free on Game Pass on the first day of release. While many other titles that come under the Game Pass selection are understandably older, these day-one releases are of quite high value, making membership to the service all the more attractive.
When also considering that Microsoft is spearheading some seriously high-profile acquisitions, day-one releases on Game Pass service are only going to increase in frequency and prestige as time passes. Xbox currently owns Rare, Mojang, and Bethesda, with the gargantuan purchase of veteran studio Activision Blizzard set to finalize next year. In this way, the prospect of what games may come to the service as day-one titles in the future is an inherently exciting one.
Cloud Gaming With Xbox Game Pass
Undoubtedly, one of the most attractive benefits that comes with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier of subscription is that of cloud gaming. It can be said that Microsoft is pioneering cloud gaming for consoles, and is allowing Game Pass Ultimate subscribers the opportunity to beta test the service across a slew of cloud-compatible games within the Game Pass collection.
Cloud gaming means that subscribers can instantly play a compatible title through the internet without having to download it, eliminating waiting times and allowing for much more varied and spontaneous gameplay experiences. Through Game Pass Ultimate, subscribers can even stream cloud games through a laptop, PC, phone, or tablet, making high-level gaming as mobile as it has ever been.
RELATED: Xbox Game Pass is Losing 4 Games at the End of the Month
Xbox Game Pass Discounts and In-game Perks
As well as offering a huge amount of titles for free, the Game Pass service additionally provides a comprehensive array of discounts for the titles to be fully purchased, and thus accessible without a Game Pass subscription. These discounts are especially beneficial when a title that a player is not finished with is set to be removed from the service, in which case the title can be fully owned for a fraction of its standard retail price via Game Pass.
The service also offers continuous in-game perks and benefits for a wide range of its games. Examples of these in-game perks include cosmetic bundles for multiplayer games via Game Pass, seasonal packs, and even perks for other services like membership to Discord Nitro.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Xbox Live Gold
A huge boon to the value of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is that it doubles as a subscription for Xbox Live Gold. Considering that the Ultimate tier of Game Pass is only $5 more expensive than the standard Console Game Pass, the added benefit of Ultimate acting as a Gold subscription makes the price difference more than worth it.
While Xbox Live Gold of course allows for multiplayer capabilities for a player’s Xbox account, it also provides players with access to the long-standing Games With Gold service. Games With Gold offers players four new games a month to download and own for free, spanning across different generations of consoles and offering another layer of benefits to the Game Pass service.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: EA Play
Another extremely important perk of the Ultimate tier of Xbox Game Pass is that it comes with a membership to the EA Play service. Originally launched in 2014, EA Play is a subscription service in itself, allowing players access to EA titles in a fashion very similar to how Game Pass operates.
With Game Pass Ultimate, players have access to over 80 additional titles that all come under the EA sphere. Ultimate subscribers can resultantly enjoy a comprehensive list of sports games such as FIFA and the Skate series, as well as Star Wars titles, Battlefield games, Crysis, Dead Space, and much more. Considering that Game Pass reportedly has around 25 million monthly subscribers, the benefits and perks that come with the Xbox Game Pass service speak for themselves.
MORE: PC Game Pass Confirms More Games for June and July
