The short answer is yes, absolutely! Xbox Game Pass Ultimate provides access to over 100 high-quality games for one low monthly fee. It essentially gives you an instant collection of free games that continues to expand.
What is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a premium subscription from Microsoft that unlocks access to a frequently updated library of games. It includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, EA Play membership, and expansive game catalogues for both console and PC gaming.
Game Pass Ultimate offers the following main components:
Xbox Live Gold – Allows online multiplayer gaming, provides monthly Games with Gold titles, exclusive deals, and more. This alone costs $9.99/month.
Xbox Game Pass for Console – Over 100 downloadable games for Xbox One/Series X/S consoles. New Xbox Studio titles on release day. Worth $9.99/month by itself.
PC Game Pass – Access to 100+ Windows PC games. Same day as console for new titles. Regularly $9.99/month as standalone.
EA Play – Perks and full access to Electronic Arts catalogue of games like FIFA, Madden, Battlefield.
Cloud Gaming – Ability to stream and play games on phones, tablets, and web browsers via Xbox Cloud Gaming service.
The regular monthly price for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is $14.99. However, there are frequently deals like "first 3 months for $1" that provide huge short term discounts.
You get access to full games, not just trials
It‘s important to understand that Game Pass provides full access to downloadable games, not just limited trials. You can download and play games to your heart‘s content, earning achievements, saving progress, and experiencing as much content as you want.
The available games span all genres, game sizes, franchises, ratings, and more. From blockbuster day-one releases like Halo to indie darlings like Undertale. Big name franchises like Elder Scrolls, Gears of War, and Fallout are well represented.
As long as you maintain an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, you retain access to install and play these games like you own them digitally. If a game gets removed from the catalogue, you lose access until purchasing separately, but your saved progress remains in the cloud.
Game Pass Ultimate vs Xbox Live Gold
For online multiplayer gaming on Xbox consoles, an Xbox Live Gold subscription is required. This currently costs $9.99/month, or $24.99 for 3 months.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundles Live Gold together with Game Pass for one joined fee. So for $14.99/month, you get everything included with Gold plus 100s of full downloadable games across console and PC.
Here‘s a comparison:
| Feature | Xbox Live Gold | Xbox Game Pass Ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Online Multiplayer Gaming | ✅ | ✅ |
| Games with Gold Titles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Exclusive Member Discounts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Xbox Game Pass Console | ❌ | ✅ |
| Xbox Game Pass PC | ❌ | ✅ |
| EA Play Membership | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cloud Gaming | ❌ | ✅ |
As you can see, Game Pass Ultimate takes Gold and adds a ridiculous amount of value on top for just a small fee increase. It‘s hands down the better option for most gamers.
Massive catalogue of titles & day one releases
The selection of games available with Game Pass is extremely impressive. It spans decades of releases big and small.
Some of the major Xbox Game Studios titles available on day one of release include:
- Halo Infinite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Age of Empires IV
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Sea of Thieves
- Gears 5
- Minecraft Dungeons
- State of Decay 2
And many other hits like:
- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Fallout 4
- Hollow Knight
- Celeste
- Dead Cells
- Stardew Valley
- Dragon Quest XI
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Sunset Overdrive
- Ori and the Blind Forest
The catalogue evolves over time as new games get added and others are cycled out. But you can always depend on a healthy mix of AAA blockbusters, AA hits, and indie darlings.
Gaming on the go with cloud
Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions enable Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing you to stream games to phones, tablets, and browsers.
As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can access and pick up where you left off on a game seamlessly across your console and mobile devices.
Cloud gaming works surprisingly well, delivering lag-free experiences comparable to playing natively on a console or PC. This makes Game Pass even more enticing.
Huge savings compared to buying individually
If you were to purchase all the games individually that are available on Game Pass, it would cost an astronomical amount. You are easily saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars in potential software costs.
For example:
- Elden Ring – $59.99
- Halo Infinite (with campaign) – $59.99
- Forza Horizon 5 (premium ed.) – $99.99
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – $59.99
Buying just these four games at retail would cost almost $280.
Or you could access them and 100+ more for a flat $14.99/month with Game Pass Ultimate. It‘s a no brainer!
The more games you might want to play in the catalogue, the more extreme the savings get. It allows you to experience a ton of content without spending a fortune.
Limited time discounts
Microsoft frequently runs promotions for new subscribers to get started with Game Pass Ultimate at a huge discount for a short period.
The most common offer is $1 for your first month of Game Pass Ultimate access. Keep a lookout for deals like this to maximize savings.
Occasionally there are even crazy ones like "3 months for $1" or "First 4 months for $5 total." Snap these up as they provide immense value.
Upgrade regular Game Pass to Ultimate
If you currently just have a regular Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can convert over to Ultimate very cheaply in most cases.
When you upgrade an existing Game Pass account to Ultimate, it converts any prepaid time you have left (up to 36 months) over to Ultimate at a 1:1 ratio.
For example, if you have 3 months of regular Game Pass prepaid, you can upgrade to Ultimate for only $1 and it will now be 3 months of Ultimate.
So look for cheap regular Game Pass subscriptions up to 3 years long. You can often find deals like 1 year for $60. Then convert it over to Ultimate for $1 to $15 maximum. This essentially locks in Ultimate at $5/month for that period.
Is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate worth it?
For most gamers, Game Pass Ultimate provides ridiculous value compared to buying games at full retail price.
If you play a variety of game genres and want access to new releases, it‘s almost an essential subscription. You‘d need to buy 3-4 brand new games per year at $60 a piece to match the value you get from Game Pass Ultimate.
Of course, it comes down to your personal gaming habits. Here‘s a quick rundown of who it makes most sense for:
Casual gamers – Tons of variety to choose from at low monthly cost. Great for playing lots of different games.
Multiplatform gamers – Console, PC, and cloud access is perfect for those without hardcore platform loyalty.
Achievement hunters – So many games to play and achievements to earn. Offers completionists endless challenges.
Online multiplayer fans – Need Xbox Live Gold anyway, so upgrade is 100% worthwhile to gain perks.
Financially conscious – Obviously massive savings compared to purchasing everything individually.
Occasional downsides could be not owning games permanently or having to download large files regularly. But for most Xbox gamers, Game Pass Ultimate is an absolute winner.
Summing Up the Value
To recap simply, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate provides access to 100+ full games for one monthly subscription fee. This includes all Xbox exclusives on launch day.
You gain access to an instant collection of free games that keeps expanding. For casual to hardcore gamers, it offers tremendous value over purchasing individually.
So yes, you absolutely get "free games" with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate! Just be sure to take advantage of any limited time discounts when signing up to maximize the savings. It‘s hands down the best deal in gaming right now.
