Xbox Game Pass 2020 Review

I purchased my first Xbox in November of 2019. I am well aware that the first party support for Xbox One has been, well, butt. Sure, there was a sweet Black Friday deal and it came with Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, but why would I finally purchase an Xbox now? Simply put, Game Pass. This service is a thrifty and casual gamer’s dream and I genuinely hope that it represents the future of gaming.

Let’s talk about the games. Microsoft has committed to this service by making all of their first party titles available day and date. September 6, 2019, Gears 5 was chillin’, ready to be played, in the Game Pass catalogue. The service even allows for pre-installation of many “coming soon” titles. 

But, with the first party support (or lack thereof) that Xbox has had over the last generation, who gives a —— ? Well, Microsoft has been quietly purchasing more and more development studios in order to bolster their exclusives heading into the next generation. For example, though not exclusive to Xbox due to the timing, The Outer Worlds, developed by the recently purchased Obsidian, was available on Game Pass day and date.

In addition to exclusive titles, Game Pass rounds out its 100+ games with support from 3rd party companies. Sure, most games are older, but there are some huge titles here, including GTA V, Witcher 3 and Monster Hunter World. Indie games have joined the party as well, including Hollow Knight, Dead Cells and Wargroove. As the subscription service becomes more popular, some publishers are becoming quicker to support it with newer releases. Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 and 505’s Bloodstained Ritual of the Night we’re both available on Game Pass within a few months.

I had to make tough decisions as a kid. My birthday money only went so far and Super Smash Bros. Melee needed playing. As a result, I never spent much time with Master Chief. Game Pass also includes an awesome back catalogue, including all of the Halo, Fable and Gears games, Forza Horizon 4, Rare Replay and Sunset Overdrive. The man-child in me can finally close the loop on a generation of games that I totally missed.

Straight talk, Game Pass is the best value in gaming. Theoretically, it’s $10 a month as a stand-alone and $15 for Ultimate (which includes Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass for PC). I say theoretically, because I have yet to pay even close to full price for it and won’t be anytime in the near future. Game Pass codes are stackable. It was $1 for 3 months of Ultimate. My console came with a free month. And Amazon and Best routinely run BOGO deals. Even though I feel the services are worth the $10-15, I’m routinely paying about $7.50/month for the highest tier service, which to me is an outstanding deal. Not to mention, I think that if I use Bing to search a bunch of times I rack up some mysterious Microsoft points that I can use to get free Game Pass?

The value plays into how I approach gaming too. I recently made it through about 50% of Bloodstained and it just was not my jam. If I paid full retail, I would have forced myself to finish it. But with Game Pass, I’m happy to move on and shoot some mutants right in their stupid faces in Gears 5.

Perhaps the most exciting implication for Game Pass is the future of Cloud gaming. Xbox has publicly been working hard on Project xcloud and has already announced that Game Pass games will be compatible. No mention of what the cloud service will cost, but the idea of taking Game Pass on-the-go is exciting to say the least.

Who is Game Pass not for? Well, I suppose if you are an avid gamer and played most of these games already, you should pass, or “game pass” (hah.) You may change your mind about that when first party titles are regularly being released. Also, if you only have 1-3 or 1-5 hours a week to play games, there is more value in playing certain games on Game Pass than others. For example, at that rate, an insanely long and older title like the Witcher 3 does not make sense to play on the service, since it would take months to complete. Why pay $7-10/month when you can typically find that game between $15-20 total? 

Imagining a future that includes content-rich and affordable subscription services is super exciting. Throw cloud gaming in the mix and we’re talking about a truly revolutionary concept. As it stands right now, Game Pass is a tremendous deal and full of great games. If you’re time to play games is limited like me and you’ve missed or would like to replay some great titles, it’s a great service. Also, if you enjoy jumping around between titles or you’re interested in experimenting with some indie hits, this service is for you.