Topic: Is Game Pass as good as we all think it is?

Disclaimer: I'm not interested in console wars this is a genuine observation.

Background: I'm definitely a casual gamer. I don't have time to sink into huge open world games. I own a series X and have owned every xbox before and all sony consoles. I had a ps5 last year but sold it.

So...

We all love Game Pass. That's for sure. It's been a great service and I always find something to play on there. I love that I don't have to risk money to see if a game grabs me or not and can just unistall and move on.

When I owned a PS5 last year I thought the playstation plus service was garbage. The free games were sometimes ok. After I sold it they changed the service last June to tiers and I posted at the time thinking it was a terrible move as they'd actually ignored the main selling point of gamepass (day 1 release).

Out of pure curiosity I just checked up on it now almost a year later. There's an article on eurogamer showing monthly releases and every game available from ps1 to ps5 and I have to admit I was quite taken aback. The library is excellent and it seems to be getting quality additions across the board each month.

Still....no day 1 releases. Does that matter though? I'm trying to think of when I have benefited from xbox day one releases recently and there aren't many. Hi-Fi rush was a nice surprise. The 10 hour trials of new EA games are useful. Psyconauts 2 and Horizon 5 for sure. It's safe to say I've had my moneys worth even with those few but looking forward...

For 2023 Forza will be a must play day 1 for me. Ghostwire has been out a year already so doesn't count. Redfall looks like my kind of thing so there's another. Strategy (age of empires and ARA) not for me. That leaves only Starfield for 2023. I'll probably install in case it absolutely hooks me but a 40 hour story in an open world probably won't be for me.

So in the end it's 3 day 1 releases in 2023. Of course...younger (and some older) gamers out there will love and enjoy all of them and totally get their moneys worth but is the day 1 release thing really as big a hook now? Is playstation plus really as bad as some people make out? I'm quite tempted to try ps plus premium (as there are many good games across ps4 and 5 libraries I haven't played) so maybe pick up another console (if the wife lets me) or try ps plus on pc.

Any thoughts?

Short and sweet. I'm tired of Game Pass. The honeymoon phase is over and I just don't care about it anymore. When my sub lapses it will probably stay that way.

@BolkaRover I do not own a PS4/5 and at released I did not look as PS plus as a good deal but now it definitely is (at least at the mid tier as the backwards compatible tier is still subpar even more when you remember PS3 is through cloud).

As a casual player that does not buy many day one games, game pass (and ps plus) are services I do like and I tend to play at least 2 games a month from it (and my waitlist has never been below 100) so it has been totally worth it money wise.
If somebody is subscribed just for AAA day one releases is not the service for them.

Personally, I think that its still a 'big' deal - around 500 games you can play at any-time, with 'numerous' day 1 releases when the cost is at its highest - therefore offering the 'best' value and the opportunity to play the 'latest' releases day and date.

Its not just 'First' Party games either as every month there are numerous 'new' games to play. Maybe not ALL 'AAA' but they are still new games that cost 'more' than a single month of Game Pass. I bet the Last Case of Benedict Fox would cost you more than 1 month of Game Pass - yet you can play that the day it releases (not wait for months until the price drops, have spoilers ruin it, it to be 'old' news - you already 'dismiss' Ghostwire as its 'old' now despite it being 'brand new' for Xbox Console gamers so why feel differently to say PS+ when they 'eventually' add the games you wanted to play that released a year or more ago.

Goldeneye, AoE2, Hi-Fi Rush, High on Life, Plague Tale etc as well as 'Deathloop/Ghostwire' if you waited or don't own a PS5/PC, Minecraft: Legends, Redfall, AoE4, Starfield, Forza etc to come. Even if you pay for Ultimate ($180 a year at most), you couldn't buy Redfall, Starfield and Forza, couldn't buy Ghostwire, Deathloop and MLB23 - even if they are ALL on PS5 too.

Part of the Reason PS+ doesn't work for me is because I played ALL the 'exclusives' I wanted - own or can access most of the other games they offer and by the time they 'add' games, they are often 'cheaper' as they have been out a while and/or I've ended up buying months before due to 'sales'. I don't need to 'plan' for games like Starfield, Redfall etc. I can play the day they release regardless. They won't impact on my decision to play - unlike some months were multiple games release and I have to decide which to play as I can't afford to buy ALL - especially not at $70 each.

Day 1 is the time when a game is at its most anticipated, most wanted etc as well as most expensive so being able to play for a 'small' monthly fee is a BIG advantage. As you point out, you don't have the 'same' enthusiasm for Ghostwire because its not 'new' anymore so why would you feel 'enthusiastic' when GT7, H:FW or GoW:R come to PS+ - especially when I could pick them up on Ebay or in a sale instead of waiting and waiting to play on a Sub service for 'less'.

It maybe doesn't suit everyone - collectors who prefer to 'own' games, those that prefer to pick up games in sales for under $10-$15 and make 'do' with their backlog, those with the budget to 'buy' everything they want or even those that don't have enough time to 'commit' to a Sub service when they may not game for a month or more at a time - I am sure there are other reasons it doesn't suit them specifically.

In general, Day 1 is a BIG advantage - being able to play Starfield day 1 for $10 instead of $70+ is a big advantage - you can't play Spider-Man 2 the day it launches for $10 and waiting for it to eventually come to PS+ doesn't have the 'same' - its 'old' news by then - not 'fresh' and 'relevant' to current discussions which tend to focus on the 'latest' and upcoming new releases we are all excited about. Being able to jump in with your friends/family day 1 in Redfall, play with ANY friend in any day 1 Online games - not have to wait until you ALL have $70 and ALL buy, being able to play at launch, part of that community all getting to experience a brand new game 'together' and not missing out, not having to wait until price drops or its added to something you subscribe to.

The day 'CoD' releases on Game Pass (for example) you can jump in and play the MP and start at the 'same' time as everyone else can, rank up , learn the maps etc so you are not an inexperienced 'Christmas/birthday' noob who joins 'late' and doesn't know the maps. If your friends 'buy', you can still play with them without needing to own the game yourself. All your Game Pass owning friends can still play games like Gears, Forza, Redfall, Minecraft etc the day it releases with you - not be 'left' out until they buy too...

I still.enjoy Gamepass. There are a lot of games I would have never played if it wasn't for Gamepass.

I am not interested in getting a PS5 not untill Sony gets rid of Jim Ryan.

@BAMozzy great reply thanks. I’m driving so can’t reply fully but what you said regarding ghost wire makes sense as with ps plus it would be the same (1 year old etc).

Also good points regarding it’s not only 1st party that are new games.

not a game pass fault, but subscription in general. they are like having a 6month honeymoon, then plod along. wow 500 games awesome, but then once you tried what you want you end up waiting for something you want. the longer you have it, more the value drops, as i say its same with gp/ps/netflix or whatever.

Gamepass is grand. Problem with PS+ Premium is if you want a Sony exclusive game you'll buy it on release instead of waiting for a while before it comes onto the service. There was no point in me taking it up as I already owned the best games on there (Returnal is an absolute masterpiece of a game and by far my fave Sony exclusive). So the day one release for me on Gamepass is far more of a pull.

The problem with Sony is that users won't get the games that appeal to most players until they're old. They're trying to milk consumers through retail and subscription at the same time. Game Pass has all first-party games at launch so it's a winner. It also has a lot of third-party content and that attracts many more players. Game Pass might not be perfect but it's the best value.

It fully depends on what type of gamer you are. If you only play the newest AAA games, gamepass and ps plus aren't for you. If you are a casual gamer or someone who doesn't have much time due to real life commitments, these services are great.

For me personally both services are great, mainly to try out and play games i would normally not buy.
Since i doubt i would like them or they are out of my comfort zone. Games like Pentiment, As Dusk Falls or HiFi Rush i would have probably never played if it wasn't for gamepass. Every month at least 2 or 3 games that i like to try get added, so i get a constant stream of content that i would like to try an play. And sometimes I love it and sometimes i hate the game and then it's fine, i don't feel like i wasted money since i basically tried it "for free".
The same counts for PS Plus except the new games of course. But it gives me acces to games like Returnal, Demon Souls and Death stranding which i wouldn't have bought since they are out of my comfort zone.

So for me personally it enhances my game library and gives me access to try out games and genres i normally don't like and buy. So yeah for me even after having gamepass for 2 1/2 years it still feels like it's well worth my money and PS plus is exactly the same.

@Lavalera I have a long "Play later" list on Game Pass. Some weeks I don't have time to play anything. Still, I think it's worth it. I beat Mirror's Edge Catalyst after trying other games like Chorus and Immortality. I would have never tried MEC if it wasn't included in Game Pass Ultimate. Is it perfect? No way. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Is Chorus a bad game? No. Did I like it? No. It's great trying games and not feeling forced to beat them. I beat Immortals Fenyx Rising almost 100% and that is one of the games I was planning to buy. There are games that I would buy anyway but not so many these days.

@Banjo-
Oh, totally. I agree with you 100%. Being able to try out tons of games without having to commit to anything (like buying or beating it) is such an amazing value. Some of my favorite video game experiences have come from Gamepass, like Wandersong, and Sable. Also, I found out I'm not a fan of the Fable series, but I was able to play every single one of them to find that out instead of dropping money and buying them.

I can see why people get burnt out, but I think that happens from having a persistent subscription. It sort of creates the feeling that since we're paying money, we HAVE TO use it. And playing games out of obligation is terrible. I only subscribe to a streaming service after every episode of a season comes out, watch it for a month (plus a few extra stuff) and then cancel when the month is over. Same with Gamepass. I think it works better as a rental service. I wait until there are like 5 or so games I want to play, and then buy a month. Or, if a huge AAA game comes out on it, I pay 10 bucks, play and beat it in a month, and then cancel and I've saved myself sometimes up to 50 dollars.