Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to hundreds of games on Xbox consoles, PC, and cloud, plus Xbox Live Gold multiplayer and Game Pass for PC

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a monthly subscription that bundles three services: Xbox Game Pass for console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Xbox Live Gold. You pay one monthly fee and get access to a rotating library of games across devices, the ability to play online multiplayer on Xbox, and cloud gaming on compatible phones and tablets. The service does not give you ownership of any games — when your subscription ends, your access to the library ends too.

Microsoft changes the game library monthly, adding new titles and removing others. The specific games available depend on licensing agreements that vary by region. You can download games to your console or PC, or stream them through cloud gaming without downloading.

Key Takeaways

  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99 per month in the United States, though the price varies by country and Microsoft has raised it multiple times since launch.
  • The subscription includes access to hundreds of games across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and cloud gaming on phones and tablets.
  • New games are added to the library each month, and older games are removed, so the catalog you see today will not be the same in six months.
  • You need an active internet connection to download or stream games, and cloud gaming requires a compatible device and a connection of at least 10 Mbps.
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also includes Xbox Live Gold, which is required to play online multiplayer on Xbox consoles.

Monthly cost and what changes with price increases

As of 2024, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99 per month in the United States. Microsoft has raised the price twice since the service launched in 2017 — once in 2021 and again in 2023. The company has not announced another increase, but subscription prices change periodically and vary by country.

If you already have Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass for console or PC, you can convert your remaining time to Ultimate at a conversion rate. For example, one month of Xbox Live Gold converts to roughly one month of Ultimate. This conversion only works once per account, so plan the timing if you are considering the switch.

There is no annual payment option for Game Pass Ultimate itself, though you can purchase three-month or twelve-month gift cards from retailers. Paying upfront with a gift card does not lock in a lower rate — you still pay the monthly equivalent.

Games in the library and how often it changes

The Game Pass library includes hundreds of titles across genres: shooters, role-playing games, sports games, indie titles, and older games. Microsoft adds new games throughout each month, often including day-one releases of games published by Xbox Game Studios. On the other end, games leave the library regularly — sometimes with advance notice, sometimes without.

The exact catalog depends on your region and the licensing deals Microsoft has negotiated with publishers. A game available in the United States may not be available in Europe or Australia. You can see the full current library on the Xbox app or the Game Pass website, but that list changes frequently enough that checking it before you subscribe is more useful than memorizing it.

Game Pass does not include every game ever made. Major third-party publishers like EA, Ubisoft, and Take-Two do not put all their games on the service, though some titles from each appear periodically. Newly released games from these publishers typically do not appear on Game Pass until months or years after launch.

How to download and play games on console and PC

On Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, you download games directly from the Game Pass section of the Xbox dashboard. Select a game, choose "Install," and the console downloads it to your internal or external storage. Games take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more depending on file size and your internet speed. Once installed, you play them like any other game on your console.

On PC, you download games through the Xbox app for Windows. The process is similar: open the app, find the game in Game Pass, and click Install. Games go to a folder you choose during setup. You need Windows 10 or Windows 11 to use the Xbox app. Some games on PC Game Pass are also available through Steam, but owning a game on Steam does not give you access through Game Pass, and vice versa.

You need enough storage space for the games you want to download. A typical modern game takes 50 to 150 gigabytes. Xbox Series X|S consoles come with 1 terabyte of internal storage, though about 150 gigabytes is reserved for the system. You can expand storage with an external drive or a Seagate expansion card.

Cloud gaming and streaming to phones and tablets

Xbox Cloud Gaming lets you stream games to your phone, tablet, or PC without downloading them. You need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, a compatible device (iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, or Windows PC), and an internet connection of at least 10 Mbps for 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. Higher resolutions require faster speeds.

To use cloud gaming, download the Xbox app on your device, sign in with your Microsoft account, and select a game from the Cloud Gaming section. The game streams to your screen, and you control it with an Xbox controller connected via Bluetooth or a compatible mobile controller. You do not need to own an Xbox console to use cloud gaming — the subscription alone is enough.

Cloud gaming works best on a stable Wi-Fi network. Mobile data connections can work but often introduce lag or interruptions. Streaming quality depends on your internet speed and the server load at Microsoft's data centers. Performance varies by region and time of day.

What Xbox Live Gold includes and why it matters

Xbox Live Gold is the online multiplayer service for Xbox consoles. Without it, you cannot play online multiplayer games on Xbox, though you can still play single-player games and use apps like Netflix. Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold, so you get multiplayer access as part of the subscription.

If you only want multiplayer and do not care about the game library, Xbox Live Gold is available separately for $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year in the United States. However, if you are interested in the game library at all, Game Pass Ultimate is usually the better value because it costs only $7 more per month than Gold alone.

Xbox Live Gold also includes two free games per month, though these are separate from the Game Pass library. The free games rotate monthly and are yours to keep as long as your Gold subscription is active.

Device compatibility and account sharing

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate works on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and cloud gaming devices. You can use the same subscription on multiple devices, but only one person can play at a time on console. On PC and cloud gaming, the rules are different — you can play on multiple devices simultaneously as long as you are signed in with the same account.

Microsoft allows account sharing on Xbox consoles through a feature called "Home Xbox." If you set a console as your Home Xbox, anyone who uses that console can play your Game Pass games, even if they sign in with a different account. This is the official way to share with family members or roommates. The subscription itself is tied to one Microsoft account, but the games are available to all users on a Home Xbox.

On PC, the rules are stricter. Only the account that owns the subscription can play Game Pass games on that PC. You cannot share the subscription with other user accounts on the same computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an Xbox console to use Game Pass Ultimate?

No. You can use cloud gaming on a phone, tablet, or PC without owning a console. However, you cannot download games to play offline without a console or PC. Cloud gaming requires a constant internet connection.

What happens to my games if I cancel the subscription?

Your access to Game Pass games ends immediately. Games you downloaded remain on your device, but you cannot launch them. If you resubscribe later, you can download them again. Games you purchased separately (not through Game Pass) remain yours.

Can I play Game Pass games offline?

Yes, if you download them to a console or PC. Once downloaded, you can play offline as long as your subscription is active. Cloud gaming always requires an internet connection. Some games may require an online connection even after downloading, depending on how they are designed.

How much internet speed do I need for cloud gaming?

Microsoft recommends at least 10 Mbps for 1080p at 60 frames per second, and 35 Mbps for 4K. Your actual experience depends on your connection stability, not just speed. A stable 15 Mbps connection usually works better than a fast but unstable connection.

Is Game Pass Ultimate worth the cost?

That depends on how many games in the library interest you and how often you play. If you play a few games per month and most of them are in the library, the subscription usually costs less than buying games individually. If you only play one or two games that are not on Game Pass, buying them outright is cheaper.