Xbox Game Pass - GUIDE TO BEST DEAL IN FIRST POST

[Majora]

I mean, they were never going to keep $1 trials and 'stock up on 3 years for £40 a year' deals going forever. That's what you do in the growth phase (See also how Apple TV+ are constantly throwing around 3 free months here there and everywhere). Arguably they might be out of the main growth phase now, though it'll be interesting to see how Starfield and eventually CoD moves the needle. Once you mature as a service you cut back on all this stuff. When do you ever see Netflix offer any deals? Basically never.

[NecroMorrius]

When I did the conversion a little while ago I had to pay a tenner because it wasn't a new account. So presumably that still works.

[MattyP]

28 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

I'm not going to be rushing out and spending £120 on Live Gold codes to renew it for another three years. I might get it for a month or so here and there when there's some more expensive stuff I definitely want to play, but I think there's a lot to be said for owning games, as opposed to just 'renting' them via GP: you have them forever, you can play them whenever you like and you're more likely to play them properly as you've actually paid money for them.

 

Indeed I think when my GP ran out I was going to pick up another three years and just convert it over again. No brainer right?! Well I sat and thought about it for a bit and looked at how I'd used it over the last 3 years. Odd game here and there for perhaps a couple of months over the year? Few big releases now and again which I never really played for more than a couple of weeks. I think the final thing for me was that it was altering the way I played games really... in that it became a "see whats on GP" check first and then largely ignored other things out there - so in the end felt a bit restricted by what games I was playing. I know its easy enough to go and buy something to play but why bother when you have GP right?

 

Well over the past year ended up buying things too and mainly playing those games and more importantly enjoying them. I really do like sub services but like other media you can sometimes just end up accepting what is on the sub service rather than casting the net further to see what other experiences are on offer. It can end up narrowing your gaming selection and choice down significantly.

 

So just sticking with buying the odd game, playing what I have and doing GP for the odd month here and there when something that I'm interested in gets released onto it. 

 

Probably sticking with the PC and Steam for indie type titles (most of my digital content is on there) and the Xbox to play some old favourites that I've bought over the years. Seems to be working for me. GP will get subbed to now and again.. for things like the next Forza. Because it saves me buying it at RRP. Effectively a cheap demo for a month.

 

I expect if MS *do* revoke the conversion trick it wouldn't probably get the result they want perhaps.. a subscription service needs consistent numbers to make it viable if the numbers tank after they revoke offers then not going to look great for getting the great content on there... unless you have deep pockets to pay the developers... which MS does at the moment. However they need do need to keep growing those sub numbers. Keeping the gold conversion trick going will mean that they will have at least people on there for 3 years at a time. Tied into the service and with a majority of gamers probably mostly only using that service for their single source of gaming time. Which is great in the numbers business..  

[rgraves]

53 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

I think there's a lot to be said for owning games, as opposed to just 'renting' them via GP: you have them forever, you can play them whenever you like and you're more likely to play them properly as you've actually paid money for them.

 

I see this a lot - I instantly think "you can still buy games even with a GP sub, anything you really like you can buy". The store is still there - and with a GP discount quite a bit of the time too. Having a GP sub lets you just not buy stuff you'd have regretted otherwise really. If it saves you two lots of buyers remorse, it's basically paid for itself at the moment.

[MattyP]

10 minutes ago, rgraves said:

 

I see this a lot - I instantly think "you can still buy games even with a GP sub, anything you really like you can buy". Having a GP sub lets you just not buy stuff you'd have regretted otherwise really. If it saves you two lots of buyers remorse, it's basically paid for itself at the moment.

Yes this as well....  Just tend to pick things up on the Steam sale so less of buyers remorse...

 

Saying that  on the flip side if you buy something you are more likely to invest more time into it and at least give it a chance perhaps? So many times I've started a game on GP to drop it after a couple of hours and move onto something else.. rinse and repeat.  Sure some do stick and I end up playing through to completion but if I'm honest that has been fairly rare over the past year. Spent far more time on things I've bought.

 

Pays your money make your choice I guess. So many ways to play these days something that suits everyone.

[Kevvy Metal]

Mine doesn't run out till the end of the year, but when it does I'll be thinking what I want to do going forward. 

After the honeymoon period of omg all the games, I've found that I've been dipping into random stuff on Gamepass, and often being lukewarm on the stuff, not finishing them and actually feel my gaming pleasure has been affected negatively by having it! It just not in tune with how I want to play, which is to physically buy the games I want to and play them to completion. I'm not the kind of person who needs to download and fish through 10 games to find one I like... I know what I like already. 

 

There's FOMO though. I do kinda want rid of it all but something exclusive like Redfall, or Starfield will come along. Even Wo Lang I've not downloaded, because I don't want to try it out on Xbox then have my save tied to that platform. I want to buy it on disc and play through it on PS5. If I was to really not get on with it -which is very doubtful as I enjoy working through moments of friction- then I'd easily flog the disc. 

 

During that Series X honeymoon phase, I traded in an unused Xbox One and got a Series S for the office space. I will say, cloud saves work fucking amazingly on xbox and it's super fun to have two. machines... but I might ditch the Series S and move the Series X into the office, and just sub when there's something cool on the service.   

[Boothjan]

Absolute no brainer for me - if I have to pay full price, I'll pay full price.  It's a ludicrous bargain even without the £1 conversion trick.

[Jamie John]

1 hour ago, rgraves said:

 

I see this a lot - I instantly think "you can still buy games even with a GP sub, anything you really like you can buy". The store is still there - and with a GP discount quite a bit of the time too. Having a GP sub lets you just not buy stuff you'd have regretted otherwise really. If it saves you two lots of buyers remorse, it's basically paid for itself at the moment.

 

Yeah, I agree - using it as a sort of demo service for stuff that I'm a bit uncertain about is definitely something I'll miss. With Steam, however, I have that built-in in most cases with their refund policy. And, as I mentioned, I'm more likely to push through some initial misgivings I might have with a game if I've paid for it, whereas many have been the Game Pass games that I've just swiftly dropped if they didn't immediately grab my attention, or if I hit a sticking point.

 

There's absolutely arguments on both sides. But, for me, not having the backlog hanging over me is grounds enough to not renew. Other people's tolerance for that sort of thing will vary, of course, but I've got through so much of my pile of shame by this point (see the backlog thread), that I don't want to suddenly burden myself with another 20 games I feel like I need to play.

 

I imagine I'll get a month's sub when Starfield eventually comes out, but that's about it for this year. Silksong I want to pay actual cash money for to support the devs. Redfall doesn't interest me. I can't think of any other big releases off the top of my head that I'm interested in. Other indie games I'll likely just pick up on CD Keys, or similar, once they're sub £10 and I actually want to play them.

[Siri]

I've still got Game Pass until Oct 2025, but I'll probably treat it like any other entertainment sub after that point. If there's no offers on, Just sub when there's something I absolutely have to play.

 

This year is definitely worth the cash with Forza, Redfall and Starfield, and I'm certainly sure Microsoft will bring something cracking out long after my cheapy sub has ended. The only difference is I'll be paying when something is actually out, everything else that's third party can be picked up on PC for a tidy sum via humble or whatever.

[Orion]

I'll be absolutely gutted if this stops. Game Pass has introduced me to games like the Yakuza series, Slay the Spire and Vampire Survivors. I doubt I would have played them if I didn't have GP and they are some of my all time favourites now.

 

I do have just over two years to enjoy though. Will look at whatever price it is then and decide if I want to stick with it. I've too many monthly subs as it is.

[rgraves]

21 minutes ago, Kevvy Metal said:

Even Wo Lang I've not downloaded, because I don't want to try it out on Xbox then have my save tidy to that platform. I want to buy it on disc and play through it on PS5.

 

Eh?

 

You've currently got GP but have not downloaded a game because you want to instead go off and pay full whack for it on another platform? Erm...OK....

[Kevvy Metal]

3 minutes ago, rgraves said:

 

Eh?

 

You've currently got GP but have not downloaded a game because you want to instead go off and pay full whack for it on another platform? Erm...OK....

 

Yes, absolutely. Because then I will own it. 

[AK Bell]

Even if I don't make the most of the the games on Game Pass, I think I get half of my reward points by having it and that money gets converted into games not on Game Pass that I also play. I'm basically getting my money back to spend on the games I would have bought. And still be annoyed when it ends up on Game Pass. 

[Wiper]

@Kevvy Metal You could always try it, then if you like it buy it for the Xbox? Major beneficial side-effect: if you find you don't like it, no purchase necessary! Or is there a reason you'd rather own the PS5 version over the Xbox version?

[Kevvy Metal]

6 minutes ago, Wiper said:

@Kevvy Metal You could always try it, then if you like it buy it for the Xbox? Major beneficial side-effect: if you find you don't like it, no purchase necessary! Or is there a reason you'd rather own the PS5 version over the Xbox version?

 

Yeah, I'd prefer to own it on PS5. I prefer the controller -love the haptics- and I like buying discs for the machine. So many games are hitting big installation sizes and I actually now prefer buying the disc and downloading an update for these AAA games. Xbox it just doesn't feel like the focus. Physical games. 

 

I like using Gamepass for the smaller weirder things. Like Citizen Sleeper, which I'm absout half way through and that too just makes me want to buy it on the Steam deck!

[Wiper]

Ah, controller preference I totally get as does owning physical copies of games rather than just digital/subscription copies — I happily buy physical games for Xbox though, in their weird inverted cases (why is the disc holder on the left? Nobody knows!). After all, it means I get to extend the black-green Xbox DVD case > white-green 360 DVD case > grey-green Xbox One & Series blu-ray cases scale that I've got going across my shelf, which pleases me

[Kevvy Metal]

9 minutes ago, Wiper said:

Ah, controller preference I totally get as does owning physical copies of games rather than just digital/subscription copies — I happily buy physical games for Xbox though, in their weird inverted cases (why is the disc holder on the left? Nobody knows!). After all, it means I get to extend the black-green Xbox DVD case > white-green 360 DVD case > grey-green Xbox One & Series blu-ray cases scale that I've got going across my shelf, which pleases me

 

For some reason, I feel discs on Xbox platforms might become obsolete at some point soon. There does feel like a platform difference in the support of them. Not that PlayStation is perfect by any means, but it has a better focus, I feel. 

the "does it play" twitter channel is interesting for this kind of thing. 

 

EDIT - Spoilered due to massive size of embedded tweet thread

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Radish]

I have the same problem with controller preference - I have a Series X with game pass but I massively prefer the Dualsense (feels much nicer to use, I like the haptics and hate how clicky and noisy the Xbox pad is), so I've had exactly the same problem with Wo Lang. I think I'll really get into it and thus would prefer to play it on the PS5, but I'm not convinced enough to buy it.. but starting it on Xbox and then again on the PS5 later just doesn't appeal, so instead I've not touched it. Really stupid I know. 

[Mogster]

The Steam Deck has rather changed my attitude to Game Pass too. I still think it's a great service, and amazing value even at full price, but without the ability to install games to SteamOS it's become a bit superfluous for me.

 

In fact, in some cases it's actively discouraged me from playing certain games. I started Hi-Fi Rush on Game Pass, and loved it, but figured I'd rather play it on the Steam Deck. Streaming a rhythm based game didn't sound too appealing though, and it felt a bit silly to pay for a game I had access to for free elsewhere, so...

 

I'll probably change my opinion entirely when I inevitably end up with some kind of Xbox again in the future.

[rgraves]

43 minutes ago, Kevvy Metal said:

 

For some reason, I feel discs on Xbox platforms might become obsolete at some point soon. There does feel like a platform difference in the support of them. Not that PlayStation is perfect by any means, but it has a better focus, I feel. 

 

I honestly cannot see why discs are more likely to go away with Xbox than PS - if anything, I'd be more confident that an XBox disc will still be supported in some way in future generations on Xbox than a disc on PS. Just look at how they handle some PS4/PS5 stuff now with multiple installs etc - feels like MS have way more of a handle on future title support than Sony do if I'm honest.

 

I totally get controller preference - although honestly, I don't get how that would stop me at least trying it to see how I got on with it and then fully commiting to preferred platform when I did.

[Kevvy Metal]

1 minute ago, rgraves said:

 

I honestly cannot see why discs are more likely to go away with Xbox than PS - if anything, I'd be more confident that an XBox disc will still be supported in some way in future generations on Xbox than a disc on PS. Just look at how they handle some PS4/PS5 stuff now with multiple installs etc - feels like MS have way more of a handle on future title support than Sony do if I'm honest.

 

I totally get controller preference - although honestly, I don't get how that would stop me at least trying it to see how I got on with it and then fully commiting to preferred platform when I did.

 

This comes done to some subjective stuff. I like how PS5 boxes look. The blue and the white header, and the little PlayStation logo peel bit. 

[Uzi]

Wo Long on PC game pass with dual sense makes me go WHOA for a long time

[rgraves]

But why not just try it on GP for like 10 mins - that's the bit I don't get. It could save you £50...

[Wiper]

 

[Godzilla let them fight.gif]

 

(don't let them fight, I like them to remain intact)

 

(also, if they fought, the IBM-compatible boxes and their chunky manuals and extras and distinct lack of brittle plastic would obviously trounce everything else)

[Hitcher]

I'll be converting to Game Pass Family ASAP and splitting the cost 4 ways with my sons.

[Gringo]

My sub runs out in September. Please let the conversion run until then. I have completed  lots of games on GP that I never would have without it.
 

Not only has it provided me with so many hours of entertainment but it has also saved me money, having tried a number of games that I ended up not enjoying and could abandon without regret.

 

 

[Giddas]

I'd like a mini game pass sub just for the indies... obviously won't happen.

[Stanley]

2 hours ago, rgraves said:

But why not just try it on GP for like 10 mins - that's the bit I don't get. It could save you £50...

Or play the demo on either console. 

[thesnwmn]

6 hours ago, Boothjan said:

Absolute no brainer for me - if I have to pay full price, I'll pay full price.  It's a ludicrous bargain even without the £1 conversion trick.

 

Agreed but let's be clear that the loss of the "£1 trick" isn't full price. At all.

 

It's just the £1 first time conversion to GPU being lost. So you can still* convert stacked cheap gold to game pass based on the number of months you have (rather than monetary value).

 

* For now

 

I'm torn on Game Pass. In the end I did resub for 3 years late last year but the Steam Deck has decreased my usage. If they get native Game Pass for Windows on SteamOS they will have me as a loyal question, no quibbles for a long long time.

[rafaqat]

How does the family pass work. I have more than 4 family members in my family.  I assume I can nominate the 4 I share the game pass with?  When it launches in the uk.