The Game Pass will soon be available in four variants. Find out which subscription options are available and what they offer you in our overview
On July 10the pricesincreased for all new Game Pass customers. Those who already have a subscription will not be affected by the price adjustments until September. We show you herewhat packages will be available in the future, what will change in the subscription system and what prices you need to be prepared for
All Game Pass subscriptions at a glance:
- Xbox Game Pass Core
- Xbox Game Pass Standard
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
- PC Game Pass
- A comparison of all Game Pass subscriptions
If you’re wondering which Game Pass subscription is right for you, we’ve presented all the packages for you below.So you can quickly and directly find out what the respective subscriptions offer you and whether the right subscription package is available for you.At the end we have broken down all subscriptions and their respective features in a table so that you can compare everything at a glance.
If you already have an existing Game Pass subscription,Microsofthas set up its own FAQwhich provides information about the upcoming changes and price adjustments. Your Game Pass for Console membership will remain active as long as auto-renewal is enabled and you do not cancel.
Xbox Game Pass Core
- Price: 7 euros per month, 70 euros per year
- Online multiplayer for the console
- Access to over 40 games
- Additional discounts and offers for games
Game Pass Core is the cheapest subscription option at a cost of 7 euros per month.The Core subscription is aimed at console gamers who primarily want to use the online multiplayer. Core subscribersalso get access to currently 41 games.
This means that the Core subscription only offers a fraction of the selection of games that the other subscriptions offer.Brand new games are also rarely added here and the popular day-one releases are also completely absent.
Games Pass Core also replaced the older Xbox Live Gold subscription.The scope of the subscription is quite similar, but the Gold subscription offered two games per month, which were also available after the subscription. The Core subscription only offers access to the included games. After the subscription expires, these games can no longer be played
The Core subscription is therefore only worthwhile if you primarily want to play the online multiplayer of a fixed selection of titles.If you want access to many games, you should perhaps choose one of the other subscriptions.
Xbox Game Pass Standard
- Price: 13 euros per month
- Online multiplayer for the console
- Access to the Game Pass library
- Additional discounts and offers for games
Game Pass Standard is to become the new basic subscription and willcost13 euros per month.The subscription replaces the Xbox Game Pass for Console, which can no longer be purchased.
No specific start date for the standard subscription is yet known.The subscription shouldbecome available in the coming months. We assume that the subscription will be launched in September, when the price changes also come into effect for existing customers. If we know more, we will update the entry
The standard subscription offers the full Game Pass library.It gives you direct access to hundreds of games that you can then play on your console.
Online multiplayer is also included in this new subscription.If you want to access the large selection of Game Pass games on your console, you could opt for the standard subscription. As online multiplayer for the console is also included, the package is also worthwhile if you enjoy playing online.
However,no day-one releases or Xbox Cloud Gamingare included with Game Pass Standard. Additionalgames from EA Play are also not included here So if you want to play the latest blockbusters straight from release, you’ll have to go for the more expensive Ultimate subscription
PC Game Pass
- Price: 12 euros per month
- Access to the Game Pass library
- Contains EA Play
- Day-One-Releases
- Additional discounts and offers for games
The PC Game Pass costs 12 euros per month and offers all Game Pass games that are available for the PC.That’s around 400 titles, i.e. the majority of the entire library. PC gamers can also look forward to Day One releasesand receive additional access to EA Playandbenefits for Riot Games via the subscription. Only Xbox Cloud Gaming is not included here
This means that the PC Game Pass subscription offers significantly more for the money in direct comparison to the console variants.The subscription is therefore worthwhile if you primarily play on PC and can do without an Xbox.
Although the PC Game Pass does not offer all the games in the large overall library, new games are constantly being added to the subscription. Thanks to the day-one releases, you can also play many exciting titles such asBlack Ops 6orFrostpunk 2directly on release.If you have enough time and a powerful PC, you can make the most of this subscription.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
- Price: 18 euros per month
- Online multiplayer for the console
- Games in the Game Pass library
- Day-One-Releases
- Contains EA Play
- ContainsRiot Games benefits
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Additional discounts and offers for games
The Game Pass Ultimate costs 18 euros per monthand is therefore the most expensive subscription you can take outFor this you get all games on console and PC
The Ultimate subscription is the highest level of the Game Pass subscription. It gives you full access to all Game Pass games. You can also access EA Playgames,benefits for Riot Gamesand alsoDay One releasesplay. Finally, you’ll also getaccess to Xbox Cloud Gaming
With the Ultimate subscription, you get the most for your money.However, the price is correspondingly high and has risen continuously in recent years. When the Game Pass was launched in 2017, there was only one subscription for 10 US dollars per month. The Ultimate subscription was then launched in 2019 and initially cost 15 US dollars. In 2023, the price then rose to 17 US dollars and has now reached 20 US dollars (18 euros for us)
The subscription is primarily worthwhile if you play on both PC and console.If you can fully enjoy both platforms and have the time to play the many games included, the subscription could be worthwhile for you. If you primarily play on Xbox or PC, you should perhaps opt for the cheaper subscriptions
A direct comparison of all Game Pass subscriptions
In this overview, we compare the price-performance ratio of all Game Pass subscriptions in a practical table. You can see at a glance what each subscription offers and which package might be most worthwhile for you:
| Game Pass Core | Game Pass Standard | PC Game Pass | Game Pass Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | 7 Euro (70 Euro annual subscription) | 13 Euro | 12 Euro | 18 Euro |
| Game Pass Library | Limited access to over 40 games | Yes | Yes (all games with PC version) | Yes |
| Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Always free on PC | Yes |
| Day One Games | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| EA Play | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Riot Games Benefits | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | No | No | No | Yes |
Game Pass is now also an interesting offer for PC gamers. The large games library and the opportunity to play new games directly on release are very attractive.
You can find out what else is happening at Microsoft in the box above, in which we have linked to some current articles on the topic.
How are you doing? Do you use Game Pass and if so, which subscription do you have? Are you a permanent subscriber or do you use the subscription sporadically or when it’s on offer? What do you like about Game Pass and how could the offer be improved in your opinion? Let us know in the comments!
