Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service for games that was announced earlier this year, is now available to try for Xbox Live Gold members. It will be available for all users in 31 countries on June 1.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is not a cloud gaming service like PlayStation Now. Instead, you pay a monthly subscription fee to be able to download games onto your Xbox One.
At launch, Microsoft will offer “over 100 Xbox One and Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games” for $9.99 per month in the US. Prices vary depending on the region. The game catalog will be refreshed from time to time and with an Xbox Game Pass subscription you will also have the option to purchase full games at a discount, the company said.
- “When Xbox Game Pass launches, you can download and play a broad range of games in full fidelity on your Xbox One or Xbox One S console, including blockbusters like Halo 5: Guardians, NBA 2K16 and Payday 2; fun for the whole family in LEGO Batman, Banjo-Kazooie and Viva Pinata; retro and classic games like Mega Man Legacy Collection, Streets of Rage and Pac-Man Championship Edition; and of course, Xbox Game Pass has a number of great first-person and third-person shooter games, including all three titles in the amazing Bioshock franchise, Gears of War 1-3, Gears Ultimate, Perfect Dark Zero, Borderlands and more,” said Microsoft.
Xbox Game Pass is available now for Xbox Live Gold members with a 14-day free trial. It will be available to all Xbox One owners in 31 countries (see below) on June 1. You can sign up on xbox.com/game-pass.
Xbox Game Pass – in Microsoft’s own words
What is Xbox Game Pass and how does it work? At Xbox, we believe in offering new ways to give you the best value to play a collection of the greatest games. For one low monthly price, Xbox Game Pass gives you unlimited access to over 100 great games – including popular backward compatible Xbox 360 and blockbuster Xbox One titles. Xbox Game Pass will add games to (and sometimes remove games from) its catalog every month, which means you can always find something new and exciting to play. Download and experience games in their full fidelity from top industry publishers and play offline for up to 30 days. Xbox Game Pass is truly your ticket to endless play.
Do you need to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to access Xbox Game Pass? No, you do not need to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to access Xbox Game Pass. As with all Xbox Live titles, you will need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play multiplayer in Xbox Game Pass titles.
What games will be available on Xbox Game Pass when it launches? We’re working closely with top industry publishing partners to bring a robust list of titles at launch. We expect to have over 100 games from the most popular genres including action, adventure, shooters, puzzlers, strategy, RPG, and more with new titles added each month.
Will Xbox Game Pass be available where I live at launch? Xbox Game Pass will be available in at least 30 Xbox markets at launch, quickly growing to as many new markets as catalog availability permits. Markets supported include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, United States.
Are games on Xbox Game Pass streamed directly or will they be downloaded to my Xbox One? Based on fan feedback, streaming/connectivity issues were identified as a major pain point for competing game subscription services. That’s why games on Xbox Game Pass will be downloaded to your Xbox One, providing fans with a native, full-fidelity gaming experience and the ability to play downloaded games offline for up to 30 days.
Is there a limit to how many games I can download to my account at one time? No – so get your storage ready! Gamers love to play, which is why Xbox Game Pass gives you unlimited access to over 100 backward compatible Xbox 360 and Xbox One games while they are in the active catalog. There is no limit to the number of games you can download from Xbox Game Pass, other than the hard drive capacity, which you can manage or upgrade at Xbox.com.
Once I download a game with Xbox Game Pass, do I own it? No, the Xbox Game Pass catalog will update with new games being added every month. You need an active Xbox Game Pass subscription to play games. If you love a game currently in the catalog and want to own it, you can buy it and instantly save 20 percent off the price of the base game with your Xbox Game Pass membership, plus get 10 percent off any related game add-ons and consumables while the game is still in the Xbox Game Pass catalog.
What happens if my subscription expires or I cancel? If your subscription expires or is cancelled, any games downloaded through Xbox Game Pass will no longer be available. However, progress and achievements will remain attached to your account. All games that you have purchased from Xbox/Xbox Store will remain in your games library until you manually remove them.
Will Xbox Game Pass be available on Xbox 360? Xbox Game Pass will only be available on Xbox One. While some Xbox 360 backwards compatible games will be included in Xbox Game Pass, those titles will not be available on the Xbox 360 console via your subscription..
