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Which subscription is best for you?

Microsoft's Game Pass subscription services are a real hit. Each of them offers excellent value for money for both casual and professional gamers. However, deciding between the regular Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate can be difficult.

Xbox Game Pass vs Ultimate: A comparison

On the surface, Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate appear to be the same thing. And they are in many respects.

Both are subscription services that offer access to a wide range of AAA and indie games for a small monthly fee. The main difference is where you can play these games and what other features are available.

It's also worth noting that there are three services here: Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The first is only available for Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles. The second option is limited to Windows PC games only, while the third option covers both and more. Much, much more.

What are the features of Xbox Game Pass/Ultimate?

The main benefit of all Game Pass subscriptions is access to a large number of games for a low monthly fee. You can download and play games from a catalog of over 100 fantastic titles on your PC or Xbox console for as long as you have a subscription (depending on your subscription). This is exactly what you pay for with the normal Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass: Access to that library.

However, one important element that most console gamers would need is missing: Xbox Live Gold. This is essential for playing online games with your friends. This subscription costs €9.99 per month. Granted, you no longer need Xbox Live Gold to play free online titles such as PUBG, Fortnite and Halo: Infinite.

The good news: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold. The premium subscription combines Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Streaming.

Xbox Game Pass versus Playstation Plus

In general, Microsoft's subscription initiatives focus on access to an extensive library. The Game Pass membership represents a virtual Xbox that can be used virtually anywhere, including a smartphone, tablet, PC, console and, in the near future, a smart TV. We would like to point out that Microsoft is not competing with other video game companies with this strategy, but rather with general content providers such as Netflix and Apple.

Sony, on the other hand, has stated unequivocally that the company is not planning any significant changes to its distribution concept. PlayStation Plus will not serve as a launch pad for new Sony games like Microsoft's Game Pass, and there are no plans to make Plus available on platforms other than the original PlayStation hardware. The new Plus offering is intended to provide added value, but it will have no impact on the main sales model.

Xbox Game Pass versus Netflix

Netflix launched its gaming service in November 2021 and is constantly adding new titles to its repertoire. The games are currently free to play and do not include in-app purchases. The company sees the games as a way to expand and retain its current subscriber base.

In some ways, Xbox Game Pass is similar to Netflix's streaming service, as Microsoft's subscription service offers consumers a wealth of different games to stream or download for a monthly fee. The difference, however, is that consumers can purchase these games directly through Xbox if they wish. If you want to buy a movie you've watched on Netflix, you'll have to do so through another provider.

Xbox Game Pass versus Amazon Prime

It's up to you to decide which of these two offers is best for you; however, there is one clear winner when it comes to gaming, and that's Game Pass. With Game Pass, you can enjoy a much wider selection of PC games. Plus, the price is lower unless you have an Amazon Prime Student subscription.

Regardless, the price difference between regular Game Pass and Amazon Prime membership is the difference between having constant access to hundreds of titles with Game Pass and just six monthly ones with Prime Gaming, but you can keep them forever.

Some of the best games with Game Pass

The following list contains some of the best titles available on the leading gaming subscription service:

Oblivion, Skyrim, the Fallout games and every other Bethesda game

If you've never played them, I'll let you in on a little secret: Bethesda role-playing games are a bit good. Whether it's the sublime fantasy worlds of Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, the crazy post-nuclear wasteland of Fallout or the whale oil-punk Victorian-industrial cityscapes of Dishonored, Bethesda simply has it all.

Not to mention the shooters - DOOM and Wolfenstein are all great - as well as Prey, an underrated sci-fi sim with one of the best opening scenes ever.

On PC, you can even access some of the prequel titles in the series that were later bought by Bethesda. Fallout 1 and 2 are highly recommended if you want to delve into the backstory of the series - but be warned, they are very hard by today's standards.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

The iconic Yakuza series has always threatened to break into the mainstream, and this turn-based crossover with a brand new protagonist is a good time to jump in.

Like a Dragon blends the sublime with the ridiculous by continuing its meticulous recreation of Japanese back alleys and red light districts - this time focusing on Yokohama - while taking the series' signature wry humor to a new level by incorporating tropes from more typical turn-based RPGs and fantasy role-playing games.

Use cheap wine and a lighter to breathe fire on enemies, or swing a handbag like an improvised flail to bash their skulls in.

In your free time, you can try out the new and returning mini-games, ranging from blackjack, slot machines - https://www.casinoonlinespielen.info and darts to batting cages and karaoke.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is part of the Xbox partnership with Electronic Arts to include EA Play titles in the Game Pass. You take on the role of Commander Shepard, who must protect humanity and the galactic alliance from a mysterious and dangerous enemy in a trilogy of space operas.

Mass Effect 2 is widely regarded as one of the best games of the last 15 years, in which you assemble an elite crew of Ocean's Eleven-style specialists to pull off an operation against unimaginable odds.

But once you get over the 360/PS3 era feel of some of the gameplay elements, the entire series is as engrossing as ever. The Legendary Edition's graphical overhaul also makes things a lot easier on the eyes.

Even if you played the games when they were first released, keep in mind that the Legendary Edition includes all the DLC you were probably too broke to buy back then.