Hardware · Game hub
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass explained: every tier and price in 2026 (Essential, Premium, PC, Ultimate), 12-month costs, the games list, perks, and how to cancel.
Guides
All guidesFrequently asked questions about Xbox Game Pass
Where can I see every Game Pass game?
Open the Game Pass section on your Xbox, the Xbox app on PC or phone, or xbox.com. Each game page shows which tiers include it, whether it supports cloud play and when it is leaving the service.
Why can I not buy a 12 month Game Pass Ultimate code from Microsoft?
Microsoft only sells Ultimate as a monthly subscription directly, although retailers sell one-month and three-month codes. Be careful with cheap 12-month Ultimate codes from marketplaces, which are often region-locked or obtained through stacking tricks that Microsoft can revoke.
Is Game Pass worth it?
For most players who try more than a few new games a year, yes. Ultimate costs less per year than buying three or four new games at full price, and it includes day-one Xbox releases such as Call of Duty, Forza and Halo. If you only play one or two games, buying them may be cheaper.
Does Game Pass work in every country?
Game Pass is available in more than 40 countries, but prices, tiers and Xbox Cloud Gaming availability vary by region. Check the Xbox website for your country before subscribing.
Is Xbox Gold the same as Game Pass Essential?
In practice, yes. Xbox Gold, short for Xbox Live Gold, was the old subscription for online multiplayer. Its replacement is Game Pass Essential, which keeps online multiplayer and adds a small library of games and some cloud play. Prices and benefits differ slightly from the old Gold plan.
Do I need Game Pass to play online on Xbox?
For paid online games, yes: you need at least Game Pass Essential. Free-to-play games such as Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals and Rocket League do not require any subscription for online play on Xbox.
What is the difference between Game Pass Essential and Premium?
Essential includes online multiplayer, a curated library of more than 50 games and a few hours of cloud play each month. Premium adds a larger catalog of more than 200 games, including Xbox-published games within a year of their launch, and more cloud play time.
What does Game Pass Ultimate include?
Ultimate includes everything in Essential and Premium, day-one Xbox games on console, PC and cloud, PC Game Pass, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew and the longest cloud play allowance. It costs $22.99 a month in the US after the April 2026 price cut.
Is PC Game Pass included in Ultimate?
Yes. Game Pass Ultimate includes the full PC Game Pass library, so you can play on your Xbox and your Windows PC with one subscription.
Can I share Game Pass with my family?
Game Pass is tied to one account, but if you set your console as your Home Xbox, every account on that console can play your Game Pass games. On PC there is no equivalent sharing feature. See our guide on game sharing for the details.
Do I keep Game Pass games if I cancel?
No. Games from the Game Pass library stop working when your membership ends. Your saves stay in the cloud, and if you buy the game later, often at a member discount, you continue with your progress.
Can I buy Game Pass games at a discount?
Yes. Members get up to 20 percent off games in the Game Pass library and up to 10 percent off related add-ons while the games are in the catalog.
How often do new games come to Game Pass?
Microsoft announces new games in two waves each month, usually in the first and third week, and removes some older games around the 15th and the end of each month. Day-one Xbox games are added on their release date.
Why did my Game Pass price go up?
In October 2025 Microsoft reorganized the tiers and raised Ultimate to $29.99. In April 2026 it lowered Ultimate to $22.99 and PC Game Pass to $13.99. If your price changed, you were moved to the new pricing at your next renewal.
Can I switch Game Pass tiers?
Yes. You can upgrade at any time, and remaining time on a lower tier is converted to the higher tier at an exchange rate. To downgrade, cancel recurring billing and buy the lower tier when the current period ends.
Does Game Pass include EA Play?
EA Play is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It gives you a library of EA games and trials of new EA releases.
Is Xbox Cloud Gaming included with Game Pass?
Yes, but the amount depends on the tier. Essential and Premium include a limited number of cloud hours each month, while Ultimate includes the most. You can stream games to phones, tablets, PCs, smart TVs and Meta Quest headsets.
Can I pay for Game Pass with a gift card?
Yes. You can redeem a Game Pass gift card, a Game Pass code or a standard Xbox gift card and use the balance to pay for your membership.
Is Xbox Live Gold still available?
No. Xbox Live Gold was retired in September 2023 and replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core, which Microsoft renamed Xbox Game Pass Essential in October 2025. If you see Xbox Gold for sale today, it is old stock of prepaid cards, which now redeem as Game Pass Essential time. Your online multiplayer access continues under the new name.
Is there a free trial of Game Pass?
Microsoft runs occasional trials and promotions, often for new members or with new hardware. Trials automatically renew at the normal price unless you cancel, so set a reminder.
How much was Xbox Live Gold?
Xbox Live Gold cost $9.99 a month, $24.99 for three months or $59.99 for 12 months in the US before it was replaced. The 12-month price rose to $79.99 when it became Game Pass Core. Game Pass Essential now costs $9.99 a month in the US.
Does Game Pass work on Xbox One?
Yes. Game Pass works on Xbox One, but newer games built only for Xbox Series X|S cannot be installed on Xbox One. Many of those can still be streamed through Xbox Cloud Gaming on an Xbox One with eligible tiers.
What happens to my Xbox Live Gold 12 month card?
An unused Xbox Live Gold 12 month card still works. When you redeem it, the time is added as Game Pass Essential, so you get online multiplayer plus the Essential game library for the same length of time. Check the expiry printed on the card and redeem it at redeem.microsoft.com or on your console.
What is Xbox Game Pass?
A Microsoft subscription that gives you a library of games on Xbox, PC and cloud devices for a monthly fee, with four tiers from $9.99 to $22.99 a month.
How much is Xbox Game Pass?
In the US: Essential $9.99, Premium $14.99, PC Game Pass $13.99 and Ultimate $22.99 a month.
How do I cancel Game Pass?
Go to account.microsoft.com/services, choose Manage on your Game Pass membership, then Cancel subscription. On console use Settings > Account > Subscriptions.
Is there an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12 month plan?
Not directly from Microsoft. People stack 1- or 3-month prepaid cards; a year of Ultimate costs about $275.88 at the monthly price.
Does Game Pass Ultimate include Fortnite Crew?
Yes, since November 2025 Ultimate includes Fortnite Crew at no extra cost.
How much is Xbox Live?
Xbox Live Gold no longer exists. Its replacement, Game Pass Essential, costs $9.99 a month and includes online multiplayer.
What happened to Xbox Live Gold?
Xbox Live Gold became Game Pass Core in September 2023, and Core was renamed Game Pass Essential in October 2025. Existing Gold time converted automatically.
Can I still buy Xbox Live Gold 12 months?
No. Old Xbox Live Gold 12 month cards now redeem as Game Pass Essential time. Buy a Game Pass Essential 12-month card instead.
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription for Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and cloud devices. You pay monthly and get a rotating library of games instead of buying each one. Since the October 2025 shake-up it comes in four tiers: Xbox Game Pass Essential, Xbox Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
How much is Xbox Game Pass? (2026 prices)
| Tier | Monthly price (US) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Essential | $9.99 | Online multiplayer on console, 50+ games, 5 hours of cloud play a month |
| Game Pass Premium | $14.99 | 200+ games, Xbox-published games within a year of launch, 10 hours of cloud play |
| PC Game Pass | $13.99 | PC library with day-one Xbox games and EA Play on PC |
| Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99 | Everything: day-one games on console, PC and cloud, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, 15 hours of cloud play |
So how much does Xbox Game Pass cost? Between $9.99 and $22.99 a month in the US, depending on the tier. How much is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? $22.99 a month. Local prices differ outside the US, so check the price on the Xbox store for your region before you subscribe.
The Game Pass price hike and the 2026 cut
Microsoft’s biggest Xbox Game Pass price increase landed in October 2025, when Ultimate jumped from $19.99 to $29.99 a month and the old Core and Standard tiers were renamed Essential and Premium. After a lot of backlash, Microsoft cut Ultimate to $22.99 and PC Game Pass from $16.49 to $13.99 in April 2026. If you saw “Game Pass price hike” headlines, those prices have already been replaced by the ones above.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12 months: is there a yearly plan?
Microsoft does not sell an official Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12 month plan directly. The usual way to get a year is to stack prepaid codes: retailers sell 1-month and 3-month Ultimate cards, and some sell 12-month Xbox Game Pass Essential cards (the replacement for the old Xbox Game Pass Core 12 months card). The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12 months price works out to about $275.88 if you pay monthly at $22.99. Be careful with very cheap “12 month” Ultimate keys from marketplaces: they are often region-locked or resold codes that can be revoked.
An Xbox Game Pass Essential 12 months card is the cheapest way to keep online multiplayer on console for a full year. You can also pay with an Xbox Game Pass gift card or a regular Xbox gift card. See our guide to redeeming Xbox codes and gift cards.
What games are on Xbox Game Pass?
The Xbox Game Pass games list changes twice a month. Premium and Ultimate members get the full catalog of several hundred games; Essential members get a smaller set of 50+ games. Xbox-published games (Halo, Forza, Gears of War, Fable, Call of Duty) arrive on day one for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and come to Premium within a year.
Best games on Xbox Game Pass right now
- Forza Horizon 6 (racing, Japan setting, out May 19, 2026)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Ultimate and PC, day one)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (RPG)
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
- Death Stranding Director’s Cut
- Wuthering Waves (free-to-play, with Game Pass perks)
- RuneScape: Dragonwilds
- Supermarket Simulator and RV There Yet? for co-op nights
For a wider list across both consoles, see the best Xbox and PlayStation games of 2026.
Xbox Game Pass new games: recent waves
Xbox Game Pass January 2026: Brews & Bastards, Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition, Atomfall, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, Rematch, Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, Final Fantasy, Star Wars Outlaws, Resident Evil Village and MIO: Memories in Orbit, followed by Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and Space Marine 2 in the second wave.
Xbox Game Pass November 2025: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Football Manager 26, Dead Static Drive, Voidtrain, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, The Crew Motorfest, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Headlines like “seven new Xbox Game Pass games” refer to these twice-monthly waves.
Is a specific game on Game Pass?
- Xbox Game Pass Quarantine Zone: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check joined PC Game Pass on January 12, 2026 and came to Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass on July 15, 2026.
- ARC Raiders Xbox Game Pass: no. ARC Raiders is a paid game on Xbox; see the ARC Raiders hub.
- Battlefield 6 Xbox Game Pass: not at launch. It came out October 10, 2025 as a paid game; Ultimate members get it once it joins the standard EA Play library.
- Abyssus Xbox Game Pass: yes, the co-op roguelite shooter joined Game Pass on day one in June 2026.
- Xbox Game Pass Fortnite Crew: Fortnite Crew is included in Ultimate since November 2025, so you get the battle pass and monthly V-Bucks at no extra cost.
For hundreds more “is it on Xbox” answers, use our Xbox and PlayStation game availability list.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks
Ultimate perks are free extras from partners: in-game items, trials and subscriptions. The headline perks in 2026 are EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew and rotating in-game bundles (for example the Wuthering Waves Game Pass gift pack). Open the Game Pass section on your Xbox or the Xbox app, then Perks, to claim them.
Xbox Game Pass on PC
Xbox Game Pass PC means either PC Game Pass ($13.99) or Ultimate, which includes PC. You play through the Xbox app on Windows. Many games support Xbox Play Anywhere, so your saves follow you between console and PC. See how to play Xbox games on PC and our Xbox Cloud Gaming guide.
How to cancel Xbox Game Pass
- Go to account.microsoft.com/services and sign in with the account that pays for Game Pass.
- Find your Game Pass membership and choose Manage.
- Choose Cancel subscription (or turn off recurring billing to keep access until the paid period ends).
- Confirm. You keep access until the end of the billing period.
How to cancel Game Pass on Xbox itself: press the Xbox button, go to Profile & system > Settings > Account > Subscriptions, select the membership and choose Manage > Cancel. The same steps work for how to cancel any Xbox subscription, including EA Play or Ubisoft+. If you were charged by mistake, see how to get refunds on Xbox.
What replaced Xbox Live Gold?
Game Pass replaced Xbox Live Gold. In September 2023 Gold became Game Pass Core, and Core was renamed Game Pass Essential in October 2025. Xbox Essential is the tier you need for online multiplayer in paid games on console. More answers on the Xbox Game Pass FAQ.
Which Game Pass tier should you pick?
Pick by how you play, not by the biggest library. If you mainly play free-to-play games and only need online multiplayer for one or two paid games, Essential is enough. If you play a lot of different single-player games on console and do not mind waiting up to a year for new Xbox releases, Premium is the sweet spot. If you play on a Windows PC only, PC Game Pass is cheaper than Ultimate and still gets new Xbox games on day one. Ultimate makes sense if you want new releases like Call of Duty on launch day, play on both console and PC, use cloud gaming on a phone or TV, or would otherwise pay for EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics or Fortnite Crew separately.
| You mostly… | Best tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Play online with friends in a few paid games | Essential | Cheapest way to unlock online multiplayer |
| Try lots of games on console, no rush for new releases | Premium | 200+ games for $14.99 |
| Play only on a gaming PC | PC Game Pass | Day-one games for $13.99 |
| Want every new Xbox game on day one, on any device | Ultimate | Everything included, plus cloud and partner perks |
How to save money on Game Pass
- Watch for $1 or discounted trials. Microsoft runs them for new members a few times a year, usually around big launches.
- Use Microsoft Rewards. Points earned from searches, quests and purchases can be redeemed for Game Pass time or Xbox gift cards.
- Buy prepaid cards on sale. Retailers discount 3-month Ultimate and 12-month Essential cards during Black Friday and spring sales.
- Turn off recurring billing between big releases. You keep access until the period ends and can rejoin later without losing saves.
- Check what converts. When you upgrade from Essential or Premium to Ultimate, Microsoft converts remaining time at a ratio shown on the upgrade screen, so read it before you redeem codes.
Game Pass and cloud gaming
Every paid tier now includes some Xbox Cloud Gaming time: 5 hours a month on Essential, 10 on Premium and 15 on Ultimate, and Ultimate players can stream many games they own. Cloud play works in a browser, on Samsung and LG smart TVs, on Fire TV, on Meta Quest and on phones with a controller. Read the full Xbox Cloud Gaming guide for setup and the best settings.
Checked October 28, 2026.