Microsoft keeps making its Xbox Game Pass service appealing. Their upcoming addition will give Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members access to EA Play games.
Electronic Art’s subscription service is reaching Microsoft’s bundle on November 10. It arrives not a moment too soon, as it’s the same day the company releases the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S.
Let’s review what it means. Plus, let’s make a rundown on everything the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service includes.
EA Play on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
The latest addition to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is Electronic Arts games.
EA Play is including over 70 Electronic Arts games. That consists of the Mass Effect trilogy, the Battlefield saga, the FIFA franchise, the Battlefront duo, and The Sims franchise. Other notable titles include Crysis, Crysis 2, the Dragon Age trilogy, Dead Space, Dead Space 2, and the Titanfall duo.
If you have an EA Play subscription, you can convert the membership for an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate card. Microsoft explains how it works here. A three month EA Play membership equals to one month over at Microsoft’s .
EA Play is reaching Xbox consoles in November and Windows 10 PCs in December.
The consumer-friendly option
The Ultimate service has become the irruptive behemoth of the gaming industry. It’s no doubt the most budget consumer-friendly gaming subscription.
Microsoft had the power to make it work, though, which is not something every company can handle. The tech giant is selling a budget next-gen all-digital console. Then, they lower the price of entry even further with a bundle that includes more games than you’d have time to play.
Sure, it won’t have Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. But it does include all Xbox Exclusives, even on launch day; games like Resident Evil: Village or The Outer Worlds; and EA titles. Oh, The Witcher 3 is also there, but it’s also the base game. Most titles on the service only include the base game.
And if you’re thinking about the lack of PlayStation exclusives, consider those are going to cost $70 to $80 for the PS5 versions. Imagine buying the All-Digital PS5, thinking that it is cheap, only to realize you can’t trade or change games with your friends.
Fifa 2021
I’ve never been a fan of yearly-released games. Still, FIFA is one of the most potent EA franchises around, and so having FIFA 2021 in the bundle is a real possibility. And that’s a $60 game.
That means you won’t have to pay the full $60 for the same game with updated teams and ever so slightly tweaked mechanics and graphics.
What does the Xbox Game Pass Service include
The Microsoft gaming service is an attractive collection. Here’s everything that it includes right now, not counting EA Play:
Xbox Game PassThe base Xbox Game Pass delivers a catalog of over 150 games you can download and play.
The game rooster changes with about four games going in and out every month.
However, the service includes all Xbox exclusives. The Halo franchise, Forza titles, or the Ori series is part of the rooster. Age of Empires II Definitive Edition and Age of Empires II Definitive Edition is also available for the PC version of the service.
On top of that, every Xbox exclusive title will reach the service on launch day. I’m banking on the turn to play The Medium! Check the game’s story trailer if the clip below catches your interest.
Lastly, Xbox Game Pass also grants special discounts for the Xbox Store. Keep in mind that the games you download through the service go away once your subscription ends.
The base online subscription
Just like Sony, Microsoft asks users an extra payment to play online games.
Xbox Live Gold
The Xbox Live Gold membership gives you the possibility of playing online, so it enables the multiplayer features of every game.
Playing online on PC is still free with the Xbox Game Pass service.
The other benefit is getting two, three, or four free games per month. Xbox chooses the fun, though, and you can download them during the month of the offer. The games become yours forever.
Also, Xbox Live Gold offers about 50% discounts on Xbox Store.
Without Xbox Live, you would only be able to play EA games offline and miss the multiplayer aspect. However, rumors are hinting at Microsoft ending the Xbox Live Gold service. It seems like the right choice as PC players don’t have to pay anything extra to play online.
Moreover, Sony allows PlayStation players to jump straight to the multiplayer aspect of free-to-play games like Call of Duty Warzone.
Cloud gaming
Microsoft didn’t raise the price of the Ultimate service when they added their xCloud cloud gaming service. Instead, the company lowered the cost ahead of the Xbox Series launch.
xCloud
Microsoft xCloud is their take on cloud gaming, allowing you to stream Game Pass games on other devices. So far, though, you can only stream the game on Android devices.
You’d need an Android 6.0 or newer OS version plus a 5Ghz 10mb connection. You also need an Xbox Wireless Controller or other compatible controllers you can connect via Bluetooth.
It looks like xCloud won’t become available for iOS devices due to Apple’s restrictive policies. Amazon s launching its cloud gaming service, Luna, which will reach iPhone and iPads.
Currently, xCloud is on beta. Microsoft is yet to further the reach of the service, as well as increasing the available titles.
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I was on PlayStation too…until I took an arrow to the knee
Another point I want to make is Microsoft buying Bethesda. Better said, Microsoft bought ZeniMax, which is the parent company of Bethesda Softworks and Bethesda Game Studios, among other game developers.
That means the tech giant now owns Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Dishonored, The Evil Within, and everything coming out of these studios. They hold their tech, game engines, and overall features as well.
However, we’re expecting a confirmation from Microsoft. We’re yet to see which of these games are going to be Xbox Exclusives. Also, we’re waiting on which games will be part of the Xbox Game Pass service.
Possibly, all of these games will become part of the Xbox Game Pass service, whereas upcoming Bethesda/ZeniMax games will be available for Xbox and Windows 10 PC only.
Remember, Xbox Game Pass is available for Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and Windows 10 PCs. Currently, there’s also a beta Android app that will finally launch in November with streaming possibilities.
