Xbox Live Gold Vs Xbox Game Pass: Which Do You Need For Your Xbox Series S
Xbox Series X|S owners are facing a drought of new games to play, but they have plenty of options. Should you pick up Game Pass or Xbox Live Gold?
If you wind up being one of the lucky few to secure an Xbox Series X or S this holiday season, you’ve still got some choices to make. The days when everything you needed to enjoy your new console came in the same box are long over.
Each console now comes with its own exclusive services that can be yours for a monthly subscription fee. For new and lapsed Xbox owners, that could mean a choice between an old standby and a new service that’s become one of the main reasons to own an Xbox.
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Xbox Live has provided online multiplayer for Xbox consoles since 2002. It added bonus games for subscribers in 2013 with the Games With Gold program. Gold subscribers receive four games a month, 2 each for the Xbox One and Xbox 360/Xbox. It runs $9.99 a month.
The main draw of Gold is online multiplayer. You literally can’t access the Xbox Live servers if you don’t have an active Gold account. If you plan on playing games like Fortnite or online on your new Xbox, Gold is a must.
If you’re a single-player focused gamer and are more interested in playing a wide variety of games than focusing on one multiplayer game, Gold isn’t your best option. You’d be better off investing in a $9.99 monthly subscription to Game Pass.
Will The Xbox Series X And Series S Play Xbox One Games Via Backward Compatibility
If you care about backward compatibility about being able to play current-generation games on your next-generation console then the Xbox Series X is your best bet. Prioritizing Xbox 360 backward compatibility was one of the key steps in Phil Spencers efforts to turn around the Xbox Ones fortunes, and Microsoft has put in a lot of work over the years to expand the initiative. Now, the company is promising that its next console will support thousands of your favorite games across four generations of gaming, from the original Xbox to the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X.
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This also extends to Xbox One accessories: Theyll be compatible with the Xbox Series X, whether thats the standard wireless gamepad or the Xbox Adaptive Controller. In addition, players Xbox Achievements and via Xbox Lives cloud-based game saves their game progress will carry over across generations.
Microsoft says that backward-compatible games will run using the full power of the Xbox Series X CPU, GPU, and SSD. Players can expect higher and more steady framerates and rendering at their maximum resolution and visual quality, along with significant reductions in load times thanks to the consoles fast SSD. And Microsoft is even promising the ability to automatically add HDR color to older games and double the frame rate on some of them, going from 30 fps to 60 fps or from 60 fps to 120 fps.
What Is The Process For Redeeming A Code On Xbox One And Xbox Series Xs
- To sign in to your Xbox console, you need to be signed in with the Microsoft account that you want the code redeemed.
- From the Home screen, go to My Games & Apps. If the Store app is not there, go to Apps and find it.
- In the Store app, use the left arrow button on your controller to open the side menu.
- When you get to the screen with a list of things, choose Redeem.
- Enter the 25-character code and then follow the prompts.
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Is The Xbox Live Gold Price Increasing
For one hot second the Xbox Live Gold price was increasing, however as of January 2021, that decision has been reversed . It seems the backlash was too great for Microsoft to put its costs up at this stage.
Tabs is a Deals Editor at TechRadar, bringing you all the latest savings on the tech everyone’s talking about and covering deals on gaming, laptops, tablets and more in the US and UK. Happiest with a DualSense controller in her hand, she’s also contributed to GamesRadar, Tom’s Guide and T3 and specializes in gaming hardware and computing.
What Does The Xbox Series Ss Design Look Like
The Xbox Series S looks more like a traditional console than the Series X. The Series S has an all-white color scheme that Microsoft is calling Robot White, and its much slimmer than the massive Series X. In fact, according to Microsoft, the Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox that the company has ever produced. The company hasnt released the exact dimensions of the unit, but says it is nearly 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X.
One of the most notable differences between the two consoles designs is the fact that the Xbox Series S does not have a disc drive it will not be able to play disc-based games or Blu-rays.
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What Is The Xbox Series S And How Is It Different From The Series X
The Xbox Series S is Microsofts smaller, cheaper next-gen option. Its designed to play all the same games as the Series X, with similar performance, but at a lower resolution 1440p instead of the 4K that the flagship console will deliver. Unfortunately, until were able to actually see and play games running on both consoles, well just have to take Microsofts word on performance.
But if the Series S lives up to its billing, itll be a great choice for customers who havent upgraded from a 1080p display and/or dont care about buying physical games. Thats right: Unlike the Xbox Series X, the Series S does not come with a disc drive. Oh, and its white instead of black.
Get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate For Only 1
Right now, you can get your first 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate for just £1 – that’s a healthy saving of 91%!
Game Pass Ultimate includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, plus access to 100+ top-notch games for console, PC and Android devices, plus Xbox Game Studio titles on the day of release, free in-game content and exclusive member discounts.
If you just purchased an Xbox Series X or Series S, it’s a no brainer especially for a quid. .
After you’ve enjoyed the first three months for only £1, your Game Pass will auto-renew on a rolling £10.99 per month contract. There’s lock-in contract, so you can cancel at anytime no pressure.
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Sign Up To 14 Day Free Trial
Try Xbox Game Pass 14 day free trial is the way to get a free subscription.
Console plan
Which One Should You Get
According to Game Spot‘s previous report, Xbox Live Gold’s requirement for free-to-play games will be removed by Microsoft. This could make Xbox Live Gold even better, adding a feature that allows players to play online games.
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If you are a person that only focuses on online games, then Xbox Live Gold is the best option for you. But, if you are a heavy gamer, then you should get Xbox Game Pass. However, you still need to have a specific package in mind. You can either choose Ultimate, PC or the Console option.
For more news updates about Xbox and other related stories, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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How To Convert Your Xbl Service To Game Pass Ultimate
- To get in on this complimentary conversion, youll first need to buy a Xbox Live Gold subscription . Microsoft is likely to end the sale of Xbox Live Gold at some point, as it funnels players into buying Game Pass Ultimate. But for now, you can still buy digital codes for the service from Amazon in three, six, or twelve-month increments.
- The next step is to activate the Xbox Live Gold codes on your account, either through Microsofts website, or directly through your Xbox One console. Microsoft states that the terms of this promotion are subject to change, so Id do this sooner than later, as theres no indication as to when it will stop converting Xbox Live Gold into Game Pass Ultimate.
- Its now safe to take advantage of the $1 Game Pass Ultimate trial. Once you redeem the offer, youll see something similar to the image above when you click the Services & subscriptions tab on Microsofts site.
In my case, I wasnt aware of the strategy above, so I paid more than I could have, but at least I now have a few months of Game Pass Ultimate. Heres hoping that you can squeeze even more value out of this promotion.
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What Games Are Part Of Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass will always offer more than 300 games, made up of Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox backward compatible titles.
Some might be switched in future for other games, but here is the current list of all the games that are currently available:
All the Xbox One & Series X/S games on Game Pass :
Note, Xbox Series X/S versions of games will run on Xbox One too, but will have enhancements on the next-gen consoles. Some games will also feature Xbox’s Auto HDR and/or FPS Boost technologies.
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- A Way Out **
- Aragami 2 – coming 17 September 2021
- Archvale – coming TBC
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- Art of Rally
- Assetto Corsa
- Back 4 Blood – coming 12 October 2021
- Backbone
- Breathedge – coming 9 September 2021
- Bridge Constructor Portal
- Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
- Burnout Paradise Remastered **
- Call of the Sea
- Carrion
- Chinatown Detective Agency – coming TBC
- Cities: Skylines
- Conan Exiles
- Control
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Horizon 5 – coming 9 November 2021
- Forza Motorsport 7 – leaving 15 September 2021
- Frostpunk: Console Edition
- Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition
- Gears of War 4
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
- Gears Tactics
- Genesis Noir
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How Much Does Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Cost
Xbox Games Pass Ultimate is priced at $14.99/£10.99 a month. You can cancel at any time.
As mentioned, it includes Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Games Pass for PC and EA Play. Plus, Microsoft’s cloud service, Cloud Gaming, is part of Ultimate at no extra cost.
The standard console-only version of Games Pass doesn’t include Gold, EA Play, Cloud Gaming or the PC version. It costs $9.99/£7.99 a month. It’s the same price for the PC-only version when subscribed to separately. Ultimate is clearly the better deal.
How Many Games Are There
At launch, there were over 100 games covering both Xbox One and Xbox 360 backward-compatible games in the catalog. Every month, new games are added, and it now even stretches to a selection of original Xbox backward-compatible titles. The best Xbox Game Pass games now include projects of all sizes and genres.
Additionally, every new Microsoft first-party title will be added into Game Pass at launch. This includes forthcoming games like Halo Infinite.
But just as games regularly enter the rotation, games also regularly leave Game Pass. Any non-Microsoft game will likely leave at some point, or you should treat it as such and play those you like the look of as soon as you can.
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How To Get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate For $1
- Buy Xbox Live Gold
- Activate your Xbox Live Gold Membership
- Use the Game Pass Ultimate for $1 deal and watch your entire Xbox Live Gold membership duration be transformed into an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership
You will get a message telling you that you will be charged after x-months depending on how long your Xbox Live Gold membership still runs for.
If you already have Xbox Live Gold, its even simpler: Simply turn your running Xbox Live Gold membership into a Game Pass membership for a mere dollar.
The maximum duration you can do this for is three years 36 months and there is one thing you need to look out for: If you go beyond the 36 months, you won’t be able to transform your Xbox Live Gold membership. Now the problem with this is that, if you were to buy three 1-year Xbox Live Gold memberships, youd get offered three free months for turning on recurring billing. Dont do that. Turn recurring billing off to stay at 36 months.If you buy two 1-year memberships, feel free to turn on recurring billing and reap the free months, because youll stay well under 36 months.
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Ea Play On Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Microsoft and EA have been close for a long time now, with EA Access once exclusive on Xbox One. While the exclusivity is no more, what’s about to happen is something nobody expected.
EA Play, a subscription service on its own that allows access to a selection of EA’s vast back catalog of games, will become part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
So with one single subscription to Game Pass Ultimate, you’ll not only have access to the Game Pass Library on both console and PC and Cloud Gaming, but soon EA’s subscription service, too.
If you didn’t already think that Game Pass Ultimate is the best value package in gaming, this pretty much seals it.
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Play Forza Horizon 5 Halo: Infinite On Launch Day
For Black Friday, Microsoft is currently offering 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for only $1. Both first time and past subscribers are eligible for this deal. There is no loophole required to take advantage of this deal. Now there’s a trick to convert these 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC into 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It will require you to pay for an additional month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means new subscribers will pay a total of $2 for 4 months of Ultimate while those who have subscribed in the past will pay a total of $15.99. Follow these steps to get in on this deal.
How To Save On Xbox Game Pass
If the price blocks your way, this is good timing to buy Xbox Game Pass. Try the service for $1 is a good deal, just remember to cancel the subscription in time.
| Plan |
| Includes Xbox Live GOLD |
NOTE
The Ultimate plan includes Xbox Live Gold, so youre getting Xbox Live Gold for free and you can enjoy Deals with Gold, Games with Gold, and console multiplayer which is a great deal.
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What Is Xbox All Access
Xbox All Access is a monthly installment payment option for a new Xbox Series S or X. Customers can sign up for the plan to pay $35 a month for an Xbox Series X or $25 a month for an Xbox Series S. Both plans include 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. There are no upfront fees and 0% APR. Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Store, Target and Walmart are all participants in the program, however, the trick is to sign up when consoles are available. If you’re still on the hunt for an Xbox Series X or S, will have the latest restock updates for you.
