Game Pass for Xbox and PC

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
Topic for Microsoft's Netflix of games service. Pay $5-20/mo (discounts for annual) and get access to a library of games on your PC, xbox, and soon streaming devices. All first party Microsoft games will be on Game Pass day 1 as part of the service including things like Gears of War, Halo, Forza and Forza Horizon, etc. DLCs usually are not included however.

Game Pass info:
Join Xbox Game Pass | Xbox

Current list of games:

PC game pass:

PC app:

There are currently three tiers of GWG/GamePass:

Game Pass - gives you access to the games library for single player on xbox, not sure if PC games included
Game Pass PC - gives you access to a smaller library of games on PC, not the xbox catalog
Games with Gold - gives you cloud storage and multiplayer access on xbox, does nothing for PC
Game Pass Ultimate - combines all three of the above into a single sub. Cloud storage, multiplayer (xbox), and gamepass for PC and xbox
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Soygen

The Dirty Dozen For the Price of One
<Nazi Janitors>
28,389
43,425
Gamepass is getting crazy. I can't believe that Metro Exodus is already on the PC gamepass.
 

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
Currently you can upgrade from GWG/GP to ultimate and paying $1 for one more month will combine all your subs, essentially "doubling" your sub time. The best thing to do is add around 2-3 years of time via Game Pass or GWG BEFORE YOU CONVERT TO ULTIMATE then convert. You can only have a max of THREE years (36 months) on ultimate, you will lose any extra time if you convert.

So for example if you have 12 months of GWG right now and 18 months of game pass, if you upgrade to ultimate you will get THREE years (36 months) of Ultimate. Thats essentially doubling the value for free.
 

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
They are currently testing game pass for PC, you can get the app here
Download the Xbox App | Xbox

but you need version 1903 of Windows to update since it is the one that allows Win32 games. Its a complete new replacement for the Windows store (yay?) and looks like this

sayz10n.png


more info
XGP viewport

If you got this screen (like me):
93Ig7LM.png


You can "force" a windows update from here
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Vorph

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,473
5,204
Biggest caveat I see is that the Xbox Beta app requires Windows 10 1903, which still isn't considered stable enough for a full rollout to all users and you have to specifically go seek it out.

Have they said how long the $5/mo. price on just the PC pass will last? If it's going to be that price for a long time I guess there's not much point in going out and buying a year of GWG before I convert to Ultimate. Unless I missed a deal, GWG is the usual $60 everywhere.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
For anyone who thinks they will play microsoft games at all I'd definitely recommend getting 3 years of GWG/GP cheap right now and converting to ultimate, the math is insane. You pay $45 x 3 or $135 for three years of gold, lets say. Then you convert to ultimate and you get THREE YEARS of ultimate, which currently costs $179/yr. Thats $537 of sub service for $135.

Biggest caveat I see is that the Xbox Beta app requires Windows 10 1903, which still isn't considered stable enough for a full rollout to all users and you have to specifically go seek it out.
Have they said how long the $5/mo. price on just the PC pass will last? If it's going to be that price for a long time I guess there's not much point in going out and buying a year of GWG before I convert to Ultimate. Unless I missed a deal, GWG is the usual $60 everywhere.

Probably 2-4 months I'd guess, thats how long ultimate beta'd for. I don't know about the conversion though, they are definitely tweaking that a lot - it used to convert new additions at 1:1 but they changed it to 3:1 yesterday, as in adding 1 year of GP after you convert to ultimate only gives you 4 months of ultimate. GWG is $45 on sale annual pretty much all the time.
Once you convert to ultimate YOU CANNOT GO BACK, so add up 3 years to your GP/GWG BEFORE you convert.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
14,957
12,960
Currently you can upgrade from GWG/GP to ultimate and paying $1 for one more month will combine all your subs, essentially "doubling" your sub time. The best thing to do is add around 2-3 years of time via Game Pass or GWG BEFORE YOU CONVERT TO ULTIMATE then convert. You can only have a max of THREE years (36 months) on ultimate, you will lose any extra time if you convert.

So for example if you have 12 months of GWG right now and 18 months of game pass, if you upgrade to ultimate you will get THREE years (36 months) of Ultimate. Thats essentially doubling the value for free.

Tempted to do this even not owning a One or One X. Seeing as I don’t currently subscribe to anything are the steps to:

Create new GWG/GP account
Purchase 18 months of sub time
Convert to Ultimate for $1
?????
Profit with 36 months of Ultimate
 

Vorph

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,473
5,204
You need 36 months total between GWG and GP to get 36 months of Ultimate after the conversion. You don't want to buy GP to do this though, since 12 month codes for it are $120 and GWG is at most half that.

I can't find a deal for anywhere close to $45 right now though. Amazon/Gamestop/Walmart/Best Buy all regular price, only one listing on Ebay for 45 and it's sold out, and BJ's has a decent price but doesn't appear to sell 12 month cards (2 years is $94 though, so I may end up getting that since I have to go to BJ's today anyway). Not sure about Costco, but there's none near me anyway.
 

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
Tempted to do this even not owning a One or One X. Seeing as I don’t currently subscribe to anything are the steps to:

Create new GWG/GP account
Purchase 18 months of sub time
Convert to Ultimate for $1
?????
Profit with 36 months of Ultimate

Almost. You have to purchase 35 months of sub time for either GWG or GP (or some combo, but GWG is generally cheaper than GP) then convert. When you first do your conversion to Ultimate you get 1 month for $1 so getting 35 months is ideal, although if you are off a little its no big deal.

Also i wouldn't just flat out create a new GWG/GP account, there are trial codes that give you between 14 days and 3 months on one use only. Sadly I don't really know much about how to get them or where since I've had a sub for years now and they only work on new accounts. I've seen codes inside new xbox game and console packages if you have friends who recently bought anything.

I'm not sure what the deals are right now on, as Vorph said above I think the usual places are mostly sold out since EVERYONE is jumping on this deal over the weekend, its usually $45 on ebay but that seems to be all gone. Its currently $54 at Costco in store or online
https://www.costco.com/Xbox-Live-12-Month-Gold-Membership-Digital-Download.product.100374986.html
 

Vorph

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,473
5,204
Yeah, after searching around, I think the BJ's deal is the best option. I'll end up with ~28 months since I just got 3 months of GP from the previous deal, that's close enough.
 

Argarth

On the verandah
1,244
1,114
but you need version 1903 of Windows to update since it is the one that allows Win32 games.

Installed the Beta App, thanks for the heads up!

I've been using 1903 ever since the ISO became available (I don't do version upgrades through Windows Update anyway) and it's running perfectly for me. Thank the gods Microsoft has finally capitulated, and decided to allow W32 games in the store.

I mean, UWP is such a retarded cock-block for gamers that like to tweak and mod stuff, and not being able to even use ReShade, was a permanent "fuck right off" for me.

So sanity prevails. Who knows if and when I'll buy from them, but at least now I'll be looking!
 

Vorph

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,473
5,204
BJ's worked out alright for me too. $94 for 24mo., available both online and in store. Members only though, like Costco. They had 12 mo. in store too but the price wasn't marked.

I see Rakuten on slickdeals often, so I guess they're reputable but I've never bought anything there.
 

Vorph

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,473
5,204
Weird... I just got home and redeemed the 24 month subscription, then tried to upgrade to Ultimate and the Join button was inactive. Tried logging out and back in, hard reloaded the page, etc. and it still refused to let me do anything. Finally went to my laptop and logged into Live and it worked fine on the first try. It says next charge on 9/21/2021 and I'm downloading Void Bastards now, so apparently everything is working.
 

Crone

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
9,714
3,211
Not using a new account, as I've had my Xbox account since forever, so I'll buy 3 years, and convert I guess? Seems like a good deal!

Last year, there was a little while where I was thinking about getting an X, but decided against it as there just wasn't enough shit to play on it compared to all the great shit on Ps4.
 

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
if you mean buy the game once (or gamepass it) and play on either platform and saves are cross save then yeah, the forza horizon 3 & 4 and forza 7 games are cross play. I think gears of war is too and so are some of the Halos (all?). Sea of Thieves too. Not a lot else.
 

Crone

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
9,714
3,211
if you mean buy the game once (or gamepass it) and play on either platform and saves are cross save then yeah, the forza horizon 3 & 4 and forza 7 games are cross play. I think gears of war is too and so are some of the Halos (all?). Sea of Thieves too. Not a lot else.
Naw, meant to play the games on PC, with friends that are on Xbox, at the same time.
 

spronk

FPS noob
23,302
27,097
yeah can do that on forza and gears and sea of thieves. make a party in the xbox app on PC (or just on the xbox) and you can invite them in the party and chat and stuff and then group in many of the first party games.

its even cooler, i can run forza horizon 4 on my PC AND my xbox at the same time on two diff xbox/w10 accounts and make a group with just myself and do co-op stuff for achievements/etc as needed. since my Xis my "home" console i can log in with a 2nd account and still have access to all games, gamepass, GWG, etc as a "guest". yeah its kinda pathetic but it works lol