Is the Ultimate Plan Your Future in Gaming?

Xbox Game Pass comes with numerous tiers, benefits, and costs, and there are many differences between the standard tiers of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. And with each subscription tier offering unique benefits, it may get quite confusing to know which one is best for you.

Choosing the right one depends on how you play, where you play, and how much you want to spend. So, what subscription is best for you, and is it worthwhile for you to upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? Let’s find out.

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What Is Xbox Game Pass and What Tiers Are Available?

Game Pass is the catch-all name for a subscription package that offers a massive amount of games you can play for a single monthly fee. This makes it ideal if you want to expand your game library without shelling out retail prices for every title you want to play.

Xbox Game Pass isn’t quite Netflix for games, but it’s pretty close. And like Netflix, you don’t buy or own individual titles. Microsoft could take them out of rotation at any time. But while available, you can play Game Pass titles as much as you like.

Xbox Game Pass comes with multiple tiers you can choose from, just like any other subscription service. Specifically, the available tiers of Xbox Game Pass are as follows:

• Xbox Game Pass Core.
• Xbox Game Pass for Console.
• Xbox Game Pass for PC.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

However, it’s all well and good having numerous tiers for you to choose from, but how do you know what tier is best for you, especially whenthe price of Xbox Game Pass is increasing over time ? Let’s take a look.

What’s Included in the Standard Tiers of Xbox Game Pass?

If you’re wondering whether you should upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you should take into account the other tiers of the service: Core, Console, and PC. After all, if one of these tiers sounds like it suits you, it may save you money on your monthly Game Pass fees.

The Benefits of Xbox Game Pass Core

Xbox Game Pass Core represents the cheapest tier of Game Pass and Xbox’s replacement for Xbox Live Gold. This tier of the service comes with the following benefits:

• Online console multiplayer access for your Xbox.
• A catalog of over 25 games from the Game Pass catalog for you to play.
• Xbox Game Pass membership deals and discounts for the Xbox Store.

Image Credit:Xbox

So if you’re looking for basic access to Game Pass that allows you to play a limited selection of games, but at a low fee, Game Pass Core could suffice. You can see all the playable games for Xbox Game Pass Core, via theofficial Xbox site . Xbox Game Pass Core also represents the cheapest tier, at $9.99 a month.

However, you might find the library of games in Xbox Game Pass Core slightly lacking, despite the cheaper monthly fee. So, if you want full access to the Game Pass library, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate might represent the better deal for you.

The Benefits of Xbox Game Pass for Console or PC

As a more expensive tier of Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass for Console features the same benefits as Game Pass Core, but with a few key extras. Xbox Game Pass for Console costs $10.99 per month, but comes with the following:

• Full access to the Xbox Game Pass catalog of games, as listed viaXbox .
• New Xbox first-party titles on day one of release.
• Xbox Game Pass membership deals and discounts for the Xbox Store.

Image Credit:Xbox

As well as the Console tier of Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass for PC represents a similar tier of the service, but instead of utilizing Game Pass from your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass for PC is only for PC platforms.

Beyond being restricted to PC, Xbox Game Pass for PC features almost identical benefits: you get access to over 100 games, including Xbox Game Studio titles on the day they release. However, Xbox Game Pass for PC only costs $9.99 and comes with access to EA Play—EA’s own gaming subscription service.

What’s Included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

Now you know what comes with the standard tiers of Xbox Game Pass, you might be wondering how they stand up against Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and what exactly Ultimate comes with that the other tiers don’t. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, then, includes the following:

• Access to online multiplayer.
• Full access to the Xbox Game Pass catalog of games for console and PC.
• Access to Xbox Game Studios titles on release day.
• Exclusive Xbox Game Pass discounts and deals
• Access to EA Play.
• Access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes all the benefits of the standard tiers of Game Pass. All the same games are available, and you can still access the same deals and discounts. Then kicks it up a notch. There’s a reason it’s called “Ultimate”, after all.

For starters, your subscription covers Game Pass titles on both console and PC, so you can hop between the two. And Ultimate allows you tostream Game Pass games to your smartphone or PC orclaim exclusive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks . But with these benefits comes a hefty price tag, $16.99 a month to be exact, which begs the question: are these benefits worthwhile?

Are the Benefits of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Worthwhile?

Whether you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate depends on how much weight you place on the unique benefits the tier presents, especially when Xbox Game Pass for Console or PC comes with full access to the games available through Game Pass.

By this logic, access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, or EA Play, in the case of Xbox Game Pass for Console, represents the most significant benefits of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you want to play Game Pass titles on the go, Ultimate is an essential tier of Game Pass for you.

Image Credit:Xbox

Similarly, with access to both Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC, if you game on both platforms, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate becomes an enticing deal. However, if you only game on your Xbox, the unique benefits of Ultimate will likely seem unnecessary.

As for Xbox Game Pass Core, the limited selection of games for the same price as Xbox Game Pass for PC makes little sense no matter how you compare each tier.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate May Be Too Pricey to Justify Upgrading

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate may be the quintessential way to experience Xbox Game Pass. Still, the price tag only becomes justifiable if you emphasize gaming on both PC and console and use Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Unfortunately, at such a steep monthly price, if you, like most Xbox Series X|S owners, only play on consoles, the Ultimate tier of Game Pass isn’t worthwhile compared to Xbox Game Pass for Console.

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