How to Get the Most Out of Xbox Game Pass
Game Pass is easy to subscribe to and easy to waste. Here's how to pick the right tier, find the games worth playing, and squeeze real value out of every month.
Xbox Game Pass might be the best deal in gaming, or a monthly charge you barely use. The difference usually isn't the service. It's how you use it.
Game Pass now comes in three tiers, Essential, Premium and Ultimate, plus a separate PC Game Pass. Each step up adds more games and features, and the price rises with it. Here's how to make sure you're getting your money's worth, whichever plan you're on.
Pick the tier that matches how you actually play
Start by being honest about your habits rather than buying the biggest plan by default.
- Essential is the entry point: online multiplayer on console plus a rotating selection of games. If you mostly play one or two online games you already own, it may be all you need.
- Premium adds a much larger library, including Xbox-published games after their launch window.
- Ultimate is the full package: day-one releases from Xbox's own studios, including the newest Call of Duty, plus extra catalogues and perks, and play on console, PC and cloud.
- PC Game Pass is aimed at players who play mainly on Windows.
Use the app as your library
The Xbox app on phone and PC is the best way to manage Game Pass:
- Install remotely. Queue a download to your console from your phone, so the game is ready when you get home.
- Browse "coming soon" and "leaving soon". These two lists are the most useful parts of the service. Play what's leaving first, and plan around what's arriving.
- Wishlist and follow games so you get notified when something you want joins the catalogue.
Try games you'd never buy
The real value of a subscription library is permission to experiment. A game you'd never pay full price for, an indie with good word of mouth, a genre you've always avoided: give them an hour. The worst case is that you uninstall it.
Some of the most-loved Game Pass stories come from players stumbling into something they'd never have tried otherwise. Leave room for that.
Cloud gaming is better than you think
Depending on your tier, you can stream supported games from the cloud instead of downloading them. It's useful in more situations than you'd expect:
- Try before you download. Check whether a 100GB game is worth the space by streaming it for twenty minutes.
- Play on other screens. Stream to a phone, tablet, laptop or supported smart TV with a controller.
- Skip the wait. Start playing while a big download finishes in the background.
Streaming quality depends on your connection. A wired or strong 5GHz Wi-Fi connection makes a big difference.
Don't ignore the extras
Game Pass includes more than the main catalogue, and many members never notice:
- Partner libraries bundled into higher tiers can add dozens of extra games.
- Perks sometimes include in-game items, DLC or trials for other services.
- Member discounts take money off games in the catalogue if you want to keep one after it leaves.
Check the perks section every few weeks. Some offers are time-limited.
Know when to pause
The smartest Game Pass habit is also the simplest: don't pay for months you won't use. Busy month, holiday or sticking to one game you already own? Pause or downgrade. Come back when there's a release you're excited about and catch up on everything you missed.
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