Why You Can Trust CNET Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Is the Perfect Gift for Anyone Who Loves Cloud Gaming
Although I've contemplated quitting multiple subscriptions, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate isn't one of them.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a great and inexpensive gift to give.
I have a lot of subscriptions. "Too many," the voice in the back of my head says loudly. "Most of which you should cut," my wallet pipes up. One they agree is worth keeping, despite its increase to $20 per month this summer, is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Why? So many reasons.
One is the breadth of devices it supports; Microsoft even hyped that in its new "This is an Xbox" campaign. I have an Xbox Series S and a PC, both of which I use more than the cloud gaming on my phone, and while not all the games are offered for the PC, a large number of them are, and they share progress across the platforms.
It has a big library too, including a chunk of EA Play games, and more get added on a regular basis. There's enough choice for someone like me, who tends to nosh on games over time and jump around a lot. When it comes to gaming (among other things), I'm the equivalent of a teenager with her head stuck in the refrigerator for ages, waiting for something to strike my fancy. I don't really do multiplayer, but most people are and Ultimate is necessary for that on the Xbox.
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New games on day one
Since Microsoft owns a lot of game studios, it can also offer many new games on the day of launch. I may not like some of them, but it means I can try them, sparing myself the angst when I discover a couple of hours in that I don't like how it's bogging me down with mandatory side quests or if I rage quit, knowing that by the time I return, it will cost $5. Excluding the other benefits, I just need to like about four new games to make it a wash; anything over that is savings.
I rarely pay more than $20 for a game because I know I may end up abandoning it for months, and the Game Pass Ultimate library makes it possible to keep that promise to myself. As with every subscription platform, games tend to wander in and out thanks to licensing agreements, and that happens to a few games a month here; when that's going to happen, Microsoft usually gives you a discount to buy the game.
There have been times when I almost rage quit the service -- Microsoft occasionally wouldn't let me play on the PC unless I updated Windows -- but frankly, I rage quit a lot in all aspects of my life.
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The only thing I game on more is my Steam Deck because I already have a large Steam library and it's the most frictionless way to play: I roll over in bed and grab it and I'm usually up and running within a few minutes. Sometimes you need a big screen and glitzy graphics or just don't want to buy something expensive. That's where Game Plus Ultimate comes in.
Why Xbox Game Pass Ultimate makes a great gift
The service is not just a great gift to get for anyone with an Xbox, PC or who's a devotee of cloud gaming, or who already has an Ultimate subscription, it's an easy and inexpensive gift to give.
They're digital codes, although you can also buy a gift card (even at a local chain drug store) if you want something physical, so it's possible to give them at the very last minute. They come in one- and three-month versions, and you can stack them for larger durations. That means you can pay as little as $20 -- less if they're on sale -- or stack several for a really epic gift.
If you need additional gift ideas for the people in your life, here are my picks for the best gifts for gamers this holiday season and the best game subscription services.