The Best Xbox Game Pass Deals: Save on Monthly Costs by Buying Early
While October price increase he left many Xbox Game Pass fans, young and old, feel depressed, there is no need to give up your gaming addiction. All you need to do is make sure you’re looking for ways to save money on Game Pass itself, as that will help reduce the price hike. We’ve tracked down a few ways to do that below.
There are many Game Pass subscriptions to choose from, but we’ve taken a look at them to help you choose the one that’s right for you and your budget. If you have a decent internet connection, you can use this subscription on your phone, thanks to Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology. Our dedicated deals writer, Max McHone, is a published gamer with extensive experience helping gamers save on what they love.
With that in mind, CNET’s deals team has broken down the key differences between membership tiers and rounded up the best Game Pass deals available right now to help you choose the right plan and sign up for less. Former CNET editor Dan Ackerman called it “the best content deal in sports,” and you can get it for even less with the best Xbox Game Pass deals we’ve posted below.
We will continue to update this page as articles come and go, so be sure to check back often for the best prices available.
The best Xbox Game Pass deals
Unlike comparable PlayStation subscriptionsthere is no official annual membership program. Offers directly from Xbox appear from time to time, but usually for new subscribers. However, new and existing subscribers can save some money by using third parties with a little digging.
To help you save money each month, we’ve rounded up some of the best (and only) deals available right now below.
Game Pass Ultimate (1 month): $14
If you want to go one month at a time, don’t bother with Microsoft’s official prices. CDKeys has a monthly Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription available but 43% off. You can access hundreds of games across console, PC and cloud, as well as Day 1 releases, discounts and EA Play memberships. Why pay more?
Note that this agreement is non-binding, and can only be used if no other membership is active on your Xbox Live account.
Game Pass Essential (3 months): $29
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the ultimate membership, there’s also a three-month Premium tier option. A premium subscription is usually $10 a month, but thanks to this CDKeys offer, you’ll be paying about $1 less.
Game Pass Ultimate (3 months): $66
CD Keys are also discounted on the three-month Ultimate Game Pass. You’ll save about $5 a month over the course of three months.
What’s the best Game Pass deal right now?
You can get a three-month subscription to just Xbox Game Pass Essential $29 at CDKeys. That’s a savings of about $3 a month at the regular rate.
Game Pass Essential vs. PC. vs. Normal vs. Ultimate
There are four Game Pass subscriptions available. To help you choose what’s right for you, we’ve broken down what’s included in each category and what the average monthly cost is below.
Game Pass Essential
Game Pass Essential, formerly Game Pass Core remains at $10 per month, or you can save a little more with a three-month subscription for $26. It includes what was previously included with the Gold subscription, which provides access to online multiplayer for console players. This new membership also offers access to a library of over 50 titles, including popular games like Doom Forever again Fallout 4.
PC Game Pass
If you PC gamerPC Game Pass is still budget-friendly. It goes up from $12 to $16 a month, but still includes access to the largest library of hundreds of PC games and access to new games the day they go on sale. This subscription includes EA Play membership, which adds dozens of games to your library and offers some exclusive rewards and content for select EA titles.
Game Pass Standard
This new category replaces Microsoft’s previous Game Pass Console membership. It costs $15 per month and offers benefits such as select discounts, online multiplayer and other benefits of the Console category. It this is not the case enter games released on Day 1. For a limited time you can have them for $1 for the first 14 days.
Game Pass Ultimate
Game Pass Ultimate is the best in the world. For $30 per month, an Ultimate subscription combines the benefits of a premium and standard membership. You’ll get access to the entire Game Pass library on your console, PC and mobile devices, including access to select titles on Day 1, and you’ll have the ability to participate in online multiplayer.
Note that this the price has increased from $20 to $30 last October.
You’ll get benefits like exclusive discounts and in-game content, and it includes the EA Play subscription you get with a PC membership. Like many people, our reviewer called Game Pass Ultimate “the best content deal in sports“and it’s still the best choice for all-around players who don’t want to compromise.
How we pick the Game Pass deals at CNET
Savings on Xbox game subscriptions can be hard to come by. To help you sign up for less, we look at the best deals offered directly by Microsoft, as well as trusted third-party sellers like CDKeys. We check the membership category, subscription length and discount to help you find the best monthly price on the plan that works best for you.
