Last year, Microsoft launched Xbox Game Pass Standard, phasing out its 'Console' tier of the subscription service at the same time. When it was revealed, we questioned the need for its existence, especially given how great Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is and the extras that are included in that service. However, with Game Pass Standard seemingly growing at a faster and faster rate these days, we think it's becoming a more appealing option in 2025.
As of late, our Pure Xbox Game Pass roundups are being flooded with new GP Standard arrivals. Of course, these aren't day one launches — that's not what the mid-tier service is targeting — but more and more of the GP Ultimate library seems to be moving over at the moment. Today's library refresh included five Standard titles and just two additions to the main Ultimate library!
As we broke down in a recent guide, Xbox Game Pass Standard is $5 a month cheaper than Ultimate following the latter tier's recent price hike. While you do get a lot for your extra five bucks — EA Play, first-party launches and Xbox Cloud Gaming access — $5 every month when there's a million subscriptions out there these days isn't something to sniff at. It's a fairly big bump when added up over the course of a few years!