Choosing a gift for a gamer can be difficult, especially if you aren’t familiar with what they like or play. In these moments, there’s one ultimate gift you should consider–the Xbox Game Pass.
It’s a subscription service that offers hundreds of games to play, from the latest AAA titles to live-service games and smaller indie releases. The Game Pass isn’t expensive, and the collection almost certainly has at least a few games they will want to check out.
No need to splash out
The price of Xbox Game Pass can vary depending on the plan, but it’s very reasonable regardless—just make sure you get it for the correct platform. Game Pass PC is solely for PC users and costs $9.99 per month, Game Pass Core is a limited version for Xbox users (with fewer games) for $9.99 per month, and Game Pass Ultimate is for both console and PC with the full catalog of games for $16.99 per month.
If you ask me, Game Pass PC and Game Pass Ultimate are the best Christmas gifts for PC and Xbox gamers, respectively. Players with these subscriptions get access to all the features, including new games on day one, and in the case of Xbox, they also get online multiplayer, which is usually bought separately.
Something for everyone
Xbox Game Pass has many games to offer, and with 2023 being quite an eventful year for games, now’s a great time to jump in and try some of them out.
If you’re looking for an expansive new adventure, there’s Starfield, a beautiful space RPG by Bethesda. If you prefer getting straight into the action, Game Pass also has Atomic Heart, a stylish first-person shooter with robots and stunning graphics that launched at the beginning of 2023. Racing enthusiasts will want to play the newly released Forza Motorsport, and Game Pass also has arcade-style racers like Need for Speed Unbound and Forza Horizon 5.
The list could go on and on for any genre you can imagine, so instead of listing every game available, here are a few more of this year’s highlights your gamer friend might enjoy: Lies of P, Cities: Skylines II, Football Manager 2024, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
As I mentioned already, there are also several live-service games available on Game Pass from EA and Riot Games, like VALORANT or Battlefield 2042. Riot Games’ titles are free-to-play, but when playing with Game Pass, you get increased XP gains and fully unlocked agents and champions instead of needing to unlock them in-game.
Game Pass members also get up to 20 percent off selected games in the Xbox Game Pass for Console library, plus up to 10 percent off related game add-ons​ and consumables.
To infinity and beyond
The best part about Xbox Game Pass is that it’s constantly growing. New games are added all the time, whether they are new releases or old games that didn’t get their chance in the spotlight. Now that Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard, Game Pass may soon get new additions to the collection, like Diablo 4, World of Warcraft, and even Call of Duty. But even if it won’t, Game Pass will still be an incredible and reasonably-priced Christmas gift for your gamer friend or a family member.
