How Xbox Game Pass works

You have decided to enter the Microsoft ecosystem also with regard to the videogame world by purchasing a new Xbox . Have you noticed that one of the main proposals offered to new console users is the Game Pass subscription , a service that allows you to access a huge range of games by paying a fixed monthly sum. However, you have not fully understood how you can use it and you do not know if it is right for you or not.

Don’t worry: if you want, I can help you dispel any doubts about it. In this tutorial, in fact, I will explain how Xbox Game Pass works , how much it costs, what it includes and how to use it on the various devices on which it is available. In case you were wondering, I will focus mainly on the ninth generation of Microsoft consoles (Xbox Series S and X), but the indications I will give you are also valid for the older Xboxs. In addition, there will be a way to deal with the PC version of the service, as well as the ability to access it from mobile devices.

What do you say? Are you ready to learn everything there is to know about Microsoft’s proposal? In my opinion, you can’t wait to start browsing the Game Pass and playing the best titles accessible through this subscription. Come on then, just follow the quick instructions below. There is nothing left for me to do, except wish you good reading and have fun!

Index

• Preliminary information
• How Xbox Game Pass works
  • How to subscribe
  • How to download games
  • How Xbox Game Pass Ultimate works
• How Xbox Game Pass PC works
• How Xbox Game Pass works on Android (smartphones and tablets)
• How xCloud works via browser (Windows 10, iPhone, iPad and Android)
• How to disable Xbox Game Pass

Preliminary information

Before explaining in detail how Xbox Game Pass works , I think you might be interested in learning more about what this subscription offers.

Well, Game Pass , originally launched in 2017, is a service that allows users to access a vast catalog of games (in 2020 there are over 100) on consoles and PCs and to play them, both by installing them locally and in streaming on the cloud (in the latter case also from mobile devices), as long as the subscription is kept active and the chosen titles remain in the catalog of the service (which in fact works a bit à la Netflix, so at a certain point the games can even go out catalog).

However, an important distinction must be made: there are, in fact, three types of subscription: Game Pass Ultimate , Game Pass for PC and Game Pass for console .

The subscription on which Microsoft pushes the most is the Ultimate one, which essentially includes everything that the Redmond company can offer both on consoles and on PC and mobile devices: at a price of 12.99 euros per month (1 euro for the first month), includes access to the Game Pass catalog from all devices , i.e. consoles, PCs and mobile devices, access to the xCloud streaming game service (at the time of writing available only on Android), the Xbox subscription Live Gold to play online (typically it would cost 6.99 euros per month) and the EA Play selection that offers some Electronic Arts games.

To underline the fact that Xbox Live Gold also allows you to get games that are “given away” monthly to all subscribers of the service (born well before the Game Pass) and to access exclusive discounts on games available on the Xbox digital store.

However, as indicated by Microsoft in the official guidelines , from Xbox One onwards neither Game Pass nor Games with Gold titles remain available once the Ultimate subscription is canceled. In short, you must have an active subscription to access it.

The Xbox and PC versions of Game Pass simply include access to the Game Pass catalog – which contains differences between the two platforms – and the ability to access dedicated discounts. No Gold, xCloud or EA Access. Both cost € 9.99 per month with, for the PC version, the first month in promotion at € 1 for new subscribers. More info here .

How Xbox Game Pass works

After explaining the proposals in terms of prices and contents, I would say that it is time to take action and understand how the Game Pass works. To give you a concrete example, I’ll use an Xbox Series S , but the steps to follow are pretty similar on the other consoles of the Redmond giant as well. As for the PC, I’ll tell you more about it in a later chapter .

How to subscribe

Microsoft is highlighting the Game Pass pretty much everywhere. Leaving aside the banners that you will probably find on the Xbox Home screen , my advice is to open the Microsoft Store (shopping bag icon) and proceed through the latter, in order to analyze all the possibilities well (otherwise you could only see banners related to the Ultimate subscription).

Then use the Search feature of the digital store and type “Game Pass” in the search field. This way, you will see all the possibilities offered for your console. More precisely, there are two of them: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for consoles . I explained the differences between the two, as well as their costs, in the previous chapter of the guide .

Then choose the subscription that best suits your needs by clicking on the appropriate box and clicking on the Buy button . Read, therefore, all the information pages that are shown to you, press the button A of the controller on CONTINUE and SUBSCRIBE and, if you have not already done so, configure a valid payment method between PayPal , gift voucher , mobile phone and credit card and debt .

Speaking of gift vouchers and prepaid cards , I remind you that you can buy the latter through the classic physical stores or through online stores, such as Amazon , and redeem them in the Xbox store to activate the subscription to Game Pass or Xbox Live Gold, often at cheaper prices than standard subscriptions.

 

Xbox Live – 50 EUR Gift Card [Xbox Live Digital Code]

See offer on Amazon

 

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription – 3 Months | Xbox / Win 10 PC – Download …

See offer on Amazon

 

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription – 1 Month | Xbox / Win 10 PC – Download …

See offer on Amazon

 

The procedure to configure a payment method is very simple and the system will guide you step by step, but if you really need more information you can find it through my tutorial on how to change a Microsoft account and through the guidelines published by Microsoft .

Once you have completed the purchase of the subscription, the system will thank you with a message: just press the RECEIVED button to start using your Xbox Game Pass subscription.

For a limited promotional period (probably by the end of 2020, but these are only guesses), Microsoft offers the possibility to convert Xbox Live Gold subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for 1 euro (up to 36 months and maximum once per account), so you could find great offers for Live Gold and convert everything to Game Pass Ultimate in a very simple way, via this page .

How to download games

Given the importance that the Game Pass service assumes in the Microsoft ecosystem, the Redmond company has made the installation of the games included in the subscription very simple and quick.

You can access the Game Pass catalog in a variety of ways, as there are shortcuts on both the Xbox Home screen and within the Microsoft Store . In any case, once you reach the main page dedicated to the Game Pass, which highlights the benefits offered, I suggest you press the Show all button .

By doing so, you will access the entire catalog offered by the service and you will be able to take a look at all the titles offered. To download a game , just press the A button on the pad first on the title box and then on the INSTALL button . That’s all: quick and easy.

The download and installation will start automatically: I remind you that you can check the status of the download from the appropriate queue .

For example, on Xbox Series S you can access it by pressing the My Games & Apps icon on the Home screen and navigating to the Manage Queue tab . By pressing the Pause / Inventory button above a game tile, you can manage the download , for example by pausing it.

How Xbox Game Pass Ultimate works

If you have decided to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate , I remind you that you also have Games with Gold available , which will probably be suggested to you on the Home screen of the console, as well as the benefits related to the Game Pass and the EA Play selection .

In this case, you can search through the Microsoft Store what you need and get it quickly, by pressing the INSTALL or REQUEST button .

To give you a concrete example, in my case I was able to get, thanks to the Ultimate subscription, 30 days free of the Disney + streaming service , the game Aragami Shadow Edition (Games with Gold game of November 2020), some packages of exclusive elements for certain titles and the free 10-hour trial of FIFA 21 (included in EA Play, I couldn’t find it from the console, but I had to go through this link , log in and start downloading the Xbox One version, which is also compatible with Series S).

Also remember that if you have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription you can already play online through Live Gold , otherwise you will have to subscribe to this last subscription as well.

To start a title installed on your console, simply press the controller A button on the game icon , located on the Xbox home screen.

How Xbox Game Pass PC works

After describing the Game Pass functions related to consoles, it is useful to dwell on some differences with the PC world , which may interest you if you intend to use the Game Pass from this platform.

The Game Pass PC-only subscription is compatible with Windows 10 only , sells for the same price as the console-only one but includes a slightly different catalog.

If you have subscribed to a subscription of this type, to proceed just connect to the official Microsoft website and press the DOWNLOAD APP button . By doing so, you will get the XboxInstaller.exe file : open it, check the box relating to the license conditions and press the INSTALL and Yes buttons , to complete the Xbox client setup.

After installation is complete, click first on the button BEGIN and later on the TAKE ME TO THE GAMES . This will take you to the catalog of Game Pass titles available for PC. You can click on the ALL GAMES box to take a deeper look at Microsoft’s proposal.

Once you have found a title of your interest, just click on the game box and press the INSTALL button , choosing the drive where to install it. In this way, the download and installation will start, which you can monitor using the game icon on the left.

Once you have finished installing a game, just press the PLAY button to start it.

How Xbox Game Pass works on Android (smartphones and tablets)

If you have decided to subscribe to a Game Pass Ultimate subscription , do not underestimate the possibility of playing the titles of the Game Pass catalog even on Android smartphones and tablets in streaming (therefore without even having to install them), through the function previously known as Project xCloud .

To do this, open the Play Store (or the alternative store of your device), type “game pass beta” and press on the application icon (the Xbox logo and the word “Game Pass” on a white background). Then, tap the Install button , wait for the installation to be completed and press the Open button .

Then click on the Already member? Button . Sign in and log in with your Microsoft account . Next, tap on the CLOUD tab and take a look at the available titles. If you want some advice, it is good to dwell on the Play with touch tab , since these are titles that support touch-screen controls properly .

Once you have chosen the title you want to play via the cloud, then using your Internet connection (keep an eye on the data consumption of the mobile network), press on the game box and tap the PLAY button .

By doing so, the game will start on your mobile device (initially there will be a loading) and you can have fun without having to install anything.

On the screen you will find the touch screen controls for the game, while at the top left you can find the three dots icon , which allows you to exit the game and the session , returning to the app. Microsoft recommends a download connection of at least 10Mbps for a satisfying experience (you may want to try a speed test to see if your connection is adequate).

I remind you that with this application you can also start the download of games on consoles and PCs : just move to the appropriate tab , choose the title of your interest and press the INSTALL IN button , choosing which device you want to automatically start the download . The game will then be added to the download queue.

How xCloud works via browser (Windows 10, iPhone, iPad and Android)

How do you say? Deepening the previous chapter did you find interesting the possibility of playing Game Pass titles through the service known as Project xCloud  and would you like to do it also on platforms other than Android ? No problem, I’ll explain immediately what you can do with regards to Windows 10 , iPhone and iPad .

Clearly, the operation of the service is the same: you must have an Internet connection of at least 10Mbps in download for a good gaming experience (it is also recommended to use a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network ). Also, you must have signed up for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription . This possibility is currently in the preliminary phase (Beta) , but it is already possible to play in this way.

Net of this, instead of downloading a special official app, as happens on Android, in the case of the aforementioned platforms you have to go through a browser (on Windows 10 you can use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge , while on iPhone and iPad you can proceed from Safari , the advice is to use the latest version available). In any case, there is a requirement: you must have version 20H2 or later of Windows 10 (PC) or 14.4 or later of iOS / iPadOS (iPhone and iPad). If you are unsure about supported devices and browsers, you can find more guidance in the official Xbox guidelines .

In other words, you just need to reach the official Xbox website , log in with the associated Microsoft account, select the game you want to try in this way (perhaps using the search bar to find it), press the PLAY button and start playing.

On iPhones and iPads , you may be prompted to take a few more steps, i.e. add Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Home screen, by pressing the Share button and selecting the Add to Home screen option first and then the Add option . After that, you will have to open Xbox Cloud Gaming and redo the login to proceed.

The input method clearly depends on the title chosen and the platform from which you have decided to play, but in general you should not have any problems in being able to use the games related to the Game Pass through the xCloud platform.

In any case, when starting a game, the service explains which input method is required, as well as checks to see if there are any problems with the browser and Internet connection . In short, you will be warned if there is something “wrong”. For the rest, you can refer to the list of officially supported controllers (there are also touch controls).

Once you have started a title, you can play safely from the browser. By pressing on the three dots icon on the top left, you can also manage the audio , send feedback , activate full screen mode or exit the game . Using, instead, the Xbox button , you can take a look at the classic panel that allows, for example, to see which friends are online, create groups , send invitations and access trophies . In short, it’s all very simple.

For completeness of information, you should know that even on Android devices you can actually play via the browser (as well as via the official app). In this case, you need to go to Google Chrome and have version 6.0 or later of the operating system . I remember, in any case, that on iPhone and iPad you can only use the service via browser due to Apple’s guidelines , which do not allow the publication of this type of app on the App Store.

How to disable Xbox Game Pass

If you’re still undecided about the next few months, you might want to consider deactivating Xbox Game Pass after the first month (often available at discounted prices).

To do this, simply access the Game Pass page you have subscribed to on your Xbox, press on MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION , select the Xbox Game Pass box and press the A key of the pad on the View button and manage the subscription .

At this point, the integrated browser ( Microsoft Edge ) will start, which will lead you to the official Microsoft portal with already logged in (alternatively, you can access the page in question, even from other devices, by visiting this link and logging in with Microsoft account).

Then click on the link Stop recurring billing or cancel a subscription . The system will explain how to deactivate your subscription: click on the Subscription services link , to then access the page of active subscriptions on your account. Then click on the Manage link on the right (next to the Game Pass box) and on Cancel subscription .

The system will inform you about the date on which you will lose the subscription benefits: scroll down the page and press the Cancel subscription button to confirm. You can then choose whether to keep the Game Pass until the next expiration , by ticking the Do not charge on date option , or to cancel your subscription immediately (you will no longer be able to access the subscription benefits) and get a refund .

Finally, press the Cancel subscription button and wait a few seconds: the system will warn you of the deactivation of the recurring billing (or total cancellation) and the game will be done. Simple, right?