Like I wrote under one of the 35 Game Pass articles 😜, I bet that Ubisoft's deal cost Microsoft peanuts, perhaps even Ubisoft's licence for Xbox streaming in certain regions is partially related to it. I don't really get the Fortnite deal, because you can play without a subscription and it's part of the most expensive tier, so I'd love to know the numbers behind this. Finally, the pricing that that fan designed doesn't make sense, because the most precious feature is day one access, for users and for Microsoft, because the price on day one per game is €$70 at least (AAA games), more for deluxe editions. Thus, the most valuable perk for users (they save $70 per game) and for Microsoft (they lose $70 per game and user) is access to games at launch.
The good news is that Essential and Premium get Cloud [EDIT: and PC] for the same price. It makes a lot of sense for This is an Xbox, which is great for casual gaming, but free cloud saves and backwards compatibility along Play Anywhere will be the best features for traditional gamers in the long term. It's also possible that they merge PC and console Game Pass eventually and make Play Anywhere mandatory. Right now, the PC plan appears hidden under an arrow on the Xbox site.
TL;DR, I believe that most of the extra cost of Ultimate was decided based on day one access to the greater number of AAA games that Xbox publishes and also because gaming in general (Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) is getting more expensive. ABK is a factor, too, with Call of Duty being the only exception in the Game Pass plans.
I play new games on Game Pass, still best value in gaming for me despite the disproportionate drama, but I also love old games. If I only played old games I wouldn't subscribe to Game Pass. That said and like others here, this weekend is for a classic: Final Fantasy XIII Lighting Returns. I played the other two a few years ago. I hated this third entry at first, but once I got the hang of it, I started loving it. The world is wonderful to explore, looks awesome (on Series X) and the side quests are interesting and not overwhelming. It also adds more to the story of XIII which I consider great.
Before that, I started Crash Bandicoot 4, but no doubt it's made by a different developer because I liked the trilogy of remakes quite more. 4 is good, but it's too hard if you want to do 100% and also every minute seems over-the-top, so I took a break. Perhaps, it's because the levels are too long and don't seem cohesive but just challenging. I will go back to it when I have more patience. The problem is that what I've played so far hasn't motivated me.
@abe_hikura Exactly. If you try to expand your Ultimate subscription before it expires using a Core/Essential code, you get a warning with the conversion ratio for extending Ultimate, which is significantly lower. Thus, you need your subscription to expire first for the good deal.
Another important thing to know is that Microsoft codes don't expire, so you can buy them before you are ready to use them.
Also important: each code card has a region, so you need a code card for your region, unless it says "worldwide". On Loaded, this is very clear. I would buy the 1-year codes which are the best value. Example from Loaded: "Xbox Game Pass Core - 12 Month Membership (WW)"
@abe_hikura The codes I have bought are from CDkeys, but there are more stores that sell them. Eneba is one and Loaded I didn't know until now. Someone mentioned Shopto yesterday.
@abe_hikura I said this yesterday, but if you or anyone else is interested in Ultimate and want to pay less, subscribe to Core/Essential. If you are currently subscribed to Ultimate, first let your subscription expire. When you subscribe to Core/Essential, you can use third-party codes. Once you are subscribed, you can convert your subscription to Ultimate up to a maximum of 36 months. The conversion ratio used to be 50%. Now is 40%, so the difference is minimal and the price of Core/Essential has not changed, so it's an excellent deal!
@Scrubchub Sometimes, the easiest way is to read the official sources. These articles are fine because they highlight different things and I'm sure the engagement is extremely high right now, but so many of them can be confusing!
On the Rewards topic, until now you got the same points on all tiers, with Ultimate having exclusive perks, like the expansion of Persona 3 Reload. Now, if you choose Ultimate, you are getting more points by playing and purchasing games, which is also worth consider. Regarding purchases, you get 20-30% discount for purchasing games and 4x points (credit) for getting more games in the future.
Ultimate subscribers can now earn up to $100 per year (100k points globally) in the Store just by playing games. With our upgraded Rewards program, players can get up to 30% value on select Game Pass games, with 4x points on purchases of games and add-ons, 10% back in points on select Game Pass library titles and add-ons, and up to 20% off select Game Pass games.
You can sort by name and change the tier on the left side of the page. Important note: Premium will get all first-party games within a year except Call of Duty.
@Cakefish When you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, we’ll convert any prepaid time you have on Xbox Game Pass or EA Play subscriptions and apply it toward Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the current conversion ratio, up to a maximum of 36 months.
Xbox Game Pass Essential conversion percentage: 40% of your remaining time will convert to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate time and be rounded up to the next full day. For example, 90 days remaining of Xbox Game Pass Essential will convert to 36 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate time.
@AverageJoseph Great. Yeah, it think it's going to take a while to see Star Wars Outlaws (2024) there, although it failed to meet the sales target so who knows. It would make sense to add Immortals Fenyx Rising (2020) soon. We'll see.
@AverageJoseph I can't give you a definitive answer but, looking at this list, Assassin's Creed Origins (2017) is not included, so what you get is precisely the classics. However, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (2025) is included. Probably, their rule is no recent AAA games here.
I would start with the one you feel like playing, because I don't think they are removing old games they own, but adding more very slowly. If you haven't, play Rayman Legends, Prince of Persia or any Assassin's Creed game. I loved Syndicate and it's 60fps on Series X|S, like the rest of them except IV.
@Jsb5150 This addition beats me. It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft pays Ubisoft 10 cents from each subscription for Classics, but they must be giving a good deal for the subscription of Epic's evergreen hit that costs $12 separately. A few years ago, you had to subscribe to Gold/Core to play Fortnite, but not now and this is for the most expensive tier.
@kmtrain83 If Game Pass is a good deal or not depends on how much you pay for the tier and how much you use it. It's true that it's not ownership, but you (and everybody else) don't replay most of the games you play once, and you can always buy those that you intend to. You can buy an Xbox game in the future, generally cheaper after 6-12 months, and your save will be waiting for free on the cloud (very underrated feature) and you won't need to buy the same game on the next platform. As far as digital purchases go, it's as user-friendly as possible. You have two options, ownership and subscription and you don't get penalised for switching nor stopping. You also get the PC version with Play Anywhere and I hope that more games join it. An "old" release like Hogwarts Legacy just did.
Wasn't Cloud exclusive to Ultimate until now? At least until last year it was like that. Standard and Premium getting it for the same price is a huge bonus and makes sense if they want casual users using Cloud.
@Scrubchub Isn't the Core-Ultimate conversion better than the EA-Ultimate conversion? I haven't checked recently, though. EDIT: I see you did the maths here:
@kmtrain83 The third-party codes are legal. They are not random codes nor stolen. I don't know why they are cheaper, though, and I don't know why Microsoft is the only of the three that let third parties sell subscriptions. They are more generous with free credit as well and have this conversion that I didn't expect to only be 10% more expensive now.
Yeah, the monthly subscription price of one of the three tiers is much more expensive now, no doubt about it and 100% of the users agree, but there are more options for everyone that has five minutes. It's true that they added extras, but the added value is more an excuse to make Ultimate more expensive. The Ubisoft deal for older titles must have cost peanuts. The Fortnite subscription is more surprising, as it's relatively expensive on its own ($€10).
Games are very expensive on day one now, on all platforms, including PC. The price is the same: $€70 for the standard editions. Even Nintendo's old ports are not much cheaper. Microsoft has more studios now, so they thought that people that want to play more games at a higher price on day one have to pay the price. Of course, it's not great for us that were paying little for Ultimate until now, and of course it's silly to say that they are giving more options, because that would have been Ultimate and Ultimate Plus. It's as simple as that gaming is getting more expensive for consumers across the board, and playing new games on day one is becoming a luxury.
If anyone is curious, I've been subscribed to Game Pass since it was some kind of beta that did not even have first-party game on day one. The price has increased progressively, the content as well, but I've never paid the full price. I've always used codes for Gold and Core and the conversion to Ultimate, and all the Microsoft credit that I earn even not doing anything but just playing games and using Bing has been used for buying games.
It’s even worse when you consider the $30 per month versus a $60 or $70 game
But let's get real, none of the people writing here (or very few) are paying full price for Ultimate. You only pay full price if you have a recurrent monthly subscription and don't redeem any of the Rewards points you inevitably get for Microsoft credit. If you do the Standard-Ultimate conversion, Ultimate is only 10% more expensive now. You can also buy third-party codes for Ultimate and the other tiers.
The best deal is Ultimate: the conversion ratio was 50% until now for Core/Essential whose price has not changed and the conversion ratio is 40% now. Granted, you need your Ultimate subscription to expire and then subscribe to Essential and upgrade, but it's something you just need to do once every three years.
Xbox Game Pass Essential conversion percentage: 40%
It was 50% until now and the price of Core/Essential has not changed, so this is a great deal, right? Granted, you need your Ultimate subscription to expire and then subscribe to Essential and upgrade.
@Cakefish Interesting question. Many think that online will be free next generation, at least on Xbox, because of Play Anywhere and the third-party stores reportedly being part of the same ecosystem. My guess is that it will be free indeed and every Game Pass tier is there for the games and cloud gaming.
@JumpingJackson The biggest market besides the infested-with-microtransactions mobile market is PC. As the gaming version of Windows gets improved, I'd say yes, versatile devices like handheld PCs or gaming handhelds with video output have a bright future ahead that will benefit Xbox Play Anywhere and the PC ports of PS5/6... (and Nintendo emulators?) The newer generations don't want walled gardens nor paying much more for much less.
@fatpunkslim I completely agree, but Microsoft must have stricken a cheap deal for the Ubisoft Classics (not the top tier) and Fortnite subscription, so the increase is not to pay for that. I think that they wouldn't use all the extra money for the new deals because they wouldn't earn extra cash and would potentially lose Ultimate subscribers. The extras are merely an excuse to make the ultimate subscription more expensive. Of course, it would be better to have Ultimate and Ultimate Plus!
The price of Ultimate was too good (fine by me) for a subscription that includes on day one all first-party games by the publisher with the greatest number of studios plus some excellent third-party titles. If this was the only tier, it would be disappointing, but with two cheaper options, well, you have two other options or just buy the games you want. Anyway, you can get a much better deal converting Standard to Ultimate, unless they just changed the conversion ratios, which wouldn't be surprising, but still a better deal than a recurrent Ultimate monthly subscription.
@datamonkey Yes. He gets a lot of requests about Rare's IPs. He has mentioned Banjo-Kazooie as one of them a few times. Now, he's probably being asked about Perfect Dark 3, that should have been outsourced to Crystal Dynamics after the understandable closure of The Initiative... ironic name. That project not being finished by the ones that saved it is a disastrous decision. However, I understand that his power and communication are limited by the higher-ups, unfortunately.
I would love Play Anywhere being added to more old and new releases. It's amazing having the console version and getting the PC/gaming handheld for free, with cross saves!
I'm looking forward to Fatal Frame, previously known as Project Zero here. @FraserG There is a mistake in the Dragon Quest link, you wrote Capcom when you wanted to write Square Enix. 😁 Thank you for covering all the Xbox news!
I think that they are trying to make Play Anywhere mandatory for third parties. The new releases of Final Fantasy are Play Anywhere, but not the older, and many releases seem to follow this pattern. Timed exclusivity for their own games like Forza Horizon 6 makes a lot of sense because of Play Anywhere and Game Pass. At the end of the day, the PC market is the biggest besides the casual mobile market and Game Pass is on Xbox consoles, PC, gaming handhelds and mobile devices.
@Rafie I think it's likely because all games are coming to Series X|S and there is even a Windows version (and Mac!) at launch. I read a recent interview and they don't talk about other consoles, but excessively praise Nintendo hardware and make clear that the game runs great on the first Nintendo Switch.
I'm happy about Xbox basically getting everything. I saw the thumbnail on my phone while walking and for a second I thought it was something about Banjo-Kazooie. 😂
Did Nintendo pay the studio for timed console exclusivity, or is it one of those cases of indies prioritising development for Nintendo platforms simply because they sold a lot more copies on Nintendo Switch than on the other consoles?
I played the first one on Series X where it run smoothly and looks great. I'm not a fan of the genre, but I liked and beat this game. If I remember well, it joined Game Pass when the Xbox version released.
@abe_hikura A suggestion. One of the reasons.I stopped buying digital games and DLC on PS is because Sony doesn't issue invoices even when you specifically ask their customer service for them. On Xbox, you can download invoices for every order. So, go to your Xbox order history on a PC and download the invoices clicking on each order. This legally proves you own those games. If there is an issue in the future, you just show them your invoice.
I also recommend you to active the 2-step verification or password-less account. This doesn't affect your authorised Home console, so you can still log in automatically just turning it on. There is a guy who had his account stolen and lost access to all his 1,000+ games. There are bots in some countries that constantly try to steal accounts using random passwords, especially accounts with a big library.
@abe_hikura Could it be that you needed to buy the DLC before the special offer was announced? I remember reading that. I had the DLC since it was available, with a discount precisely because of my Game Pass subscription, and got the free code for the game. I know people that bought the DLC late didn't get the free code, but I don't know when you did.
@Coletrain I don't like The Last of Us, but I think that's another one (well, two) that would do very well on Xbox, with the TV series having 2 seasons so far. The other options make sense as well... and God of War, among others.
@Bmartin001 Friend, I beat Rayman Legends 100% recently. Those 8-bit levels are insane. I enjoy backwards compatible a lot, now I'm playing the third part of Final Fantasy XIII with FPS Boost. I haven't played Rayman Origins yet, but I will. Rayman Legends is one of the best platformers ever.
@BattleMonkey That's right. Xbox Series X – 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition is implicitly a special edition of the same console, so its price is not noteworthy, most of all because it's usually out of stock.
@Dodoo @carlos82 Not really the same. I like Nintendo as well, but Series S is much better value than Switch 2 for the reasons I explained, while PS5 is better value than PS5 Pro if you like Sony's games, which is what I said (I read on PS that you got a PS5 Pro and will get a PS6 at launch). You did, but I didn't compare Series X and PS5, because that's down to personal preferences and both are solid options. I compared Xbox consoles ("any") with Switch 2 and PS5 Pro because the person I replied to was comparing any Xbox with Switch 2 and PS5 Pro, which are the worst value right now, I already explained why, but of course you are free to dislike Xbox to the point that nothing is worse value and we will never agree, so it's pointless to discuss it.
@Fishmasterflex96 I said the opposite, that we need to accept that these companies are not our friends.
@kmtrain83 Switch 2 is for Mario Kart World and DK Bananza, though. Almost all third-party games are last gen and more expensive and the few that are current-gen are downgraded, like Star Wars Outlaws that has lower resolution, lower frame rate, lower geometry, missing assets and downgraded textures compared to the Series S version. Series S is much better value because it's more powerful, has current-gen and cheaper games plus Game Pass. Yes, Switch 2 is portable, but right now is not great value, just like 3DS wasn't at launch, and certainly PS5 Pro isn't great value either. Recommending Switch 2, with the most expensive and basically last-gen games, and PS5 Pro, the most expensive console with the same CPU, disappointing graphics upgrades and no disc drive compared to PS5 over any Xbox is just the result of you preferring Nintendo and Sony's consoles, and that's fine. 😊
@SeaDaVie @theduckofdeath Yep, with better specs and more storage, the Series X is more expensive to manufacture. We have to accept that the era of subsidised consoles is ending and that includes Sony as well.
I also think that Sonic has better racing games than Mario unless we go back in time, and I'm not a huge fan of 8 either, despite having it on Wii U and Switch with all the DLC since launch. Team Sonic Racing is a great game, but it's.. pure? Some people say bland. I don't think that's the word. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is awesome, it has amazing water, air and ground controls and physics and I love it at 60fps on Series X, but I also consider that Team Sonic Racing does a couple of things better. I'm very happy to see that Sonic Racing Cross Worlds has met positive reviews and takes things from both. It certainly deserves them because Sega games, unlike Nintendo's, aren't overrated.
Nice article. I prefer Series X, but Series S is a fantastic machine, the best value in consoles and, like Ben says, there are too many games for it and you don't need to break the bank. It also has Quick Resume, FPS Boost and full backwards compatibility, except Xbox One X enhancements.
On top of the price of Nintendo Switch 2 and pro controller mentioned here, Donkey Kong Bananza costs $70, the DLC which is basically one level $20 and Wii games $40 (they cost $20 on Wii U).
It seems like a semi-automatic mode for enjoying the story. I'd never use it, but I don't mind at all if it exists and people choose to play like that. I would never use it because I'd never learn to play a game like that and I'd never really enjoy it, but if some players want to rush the game or focus on the story, it's absolutely fine. Even playing Donkey Kong Country Returns and other games that have unfair sections that you can only beat after learning the layout of the level by heart, I have never used the assistance! 😂 However, playing some games I have not tried before and are fast-paced, I may start with the easiest difficulty mode, like Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. That case is an exception, because I learnt to play like that.
The two editions are available for pre-order now. They both are limited early purchase editions and include the original game. The only difference is the Square Enix Digital Content Viewer of the Digital Deluxe Edition. The prices are £40/€50/$40 for Standard and £55/€70/$60 for Digital Deluxe. Standard for me.
I almost got it on PS4, but I'm glad I waited until the Series X version because I've heard that the PS4 version looks quite ugly. I remember my conversations with good old NEStalgia and somehow I knew all Final Fantasy games were coming to Xbox eventually, but he couldn't believe it. The funny thing is that I haven't played all the other entries after all these years.
I also want to play the Dragon Quest games. I played both Octopath Travellers games and I loved them. The second one has excellent quality of life additions so I enjoyed beating it 100%.
Comments 7,827
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Ubisoft+ Classics Being Added To Game Pass Ultimate?
Like I wrote under one of the 35 Game Pass articles 😜, I bet that Ubisoft's deal cost Microsoft peanuts, perhaps even Ubisoft's licence for Xbox streaming in certain regions is partially related to it. I don't really get the Fortnite deal, because you can play without a subscription and it's part of the most expensive tier, so I'd love to know the numbers behind this. Finally, the pricing that that fan designed doesn't make sense, because the most precious feature is day one access, for users and for Microsoft, because the price on day one per game is €$70 at least (AAA games), more for deluxe editions. Thus, the most valuable perk for users (they save $70 per game) and for Microsoft (they lose $70 per game and user) is access to games at launch.
The good news is that Essential and Premium get Cloud [EDIT: and PC] for the same price. It makes a lot of sense for This is an Xbox, which is great for casual gaming, but free cloud saves and backwards compatibility along Play Anywhere will be the best features for traditional gamers in the long term. It's also possible that they merge PC and console Game Pass eventually and make Play Anywhere mandatory. Right now, the PC plan appears hidden under an arrow on the Xbox site.
TL;DR, I believe that most of the extra cost of Ultimate was decided based on day one access to the greater number of AAA games that Xbox publishes and also because gaming in general (Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) is getting more expensive. ABK is a factor, too, with Call of Duty being the only exception in the Game Pass plans.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Ubisoft+ Classics Being Added To Game Pass Ultimate?
@Ricky-Spanish There are familiar faces as well, but not because they like Xbox. 😁
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 4-5)
I play new games on Game Pass, still best value in gaming for me despite the disproportionate drama, but I also love old games. If I only played old games I wouldn't subscribe to Game Pass. That said and like others here, this weekend is for a classic: Final Fantasy XIII Lighting Returns. I played the other two a few years ago. I hated this third entry at first, but once I got the hang of it, I started loving it. The world is wonderful to explore, looks awesome (on Series X) and the side quests are interesting and not overwhelming. It also adds more to the story of XIII which I consider great.
Before that, I started Crash Bandicoot 4, but no doubt it's made by a different developer because I liked the trilogy of remakes quite more. 4 is good, but it's too hard if you want to do 100% and also every minute seems over-the-top, so I took a break. Perhaps, it's because the levels are too long and don't seem cohesive but just challenging. I will go back to it when I have more patience. The problem is that what I've played so far hasn't motivated me.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@abe_hikura Exactly. If you try to expand your Ultimate subscription before it expires using a Core/Essential code, you get a warning with the conversion ratio for extending Ultimate, which is significantly lower. Thus, you need your subscription to expire first for the good deal.
Another important thing to know is that Microsoft codes don't expire, so you can buy them before you are ready to use them.
Also important: each code card has a region, so you need a code card for your region, unless it says "worldwide". On Loaded, this is very clear. I would buy the 1-year codes which are the best value. Example from Loaded: "Xbox Game Pass Core - 12 Month Membership (WW)"
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@abe_hikura I see! Yes, no problems with Loaded in my experience.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@abe_hikura The codes I have bought are from CDkeys, but there are more stores that sell them. Eneba is one and Loaded I didn't know until now. Someone mentioned Shopto yesterday.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@abe_hikura I said this yesterday, but if you or anyone else is interested in Ultimate and want to pay less, subscribe to Core/Essential. If you are currently subscribed to Ultimate, first let your subscription expire. When you subscribe to Core/Essential, you can use third-party codes. Once you are subscribed, you can convert your subscription to Ultimate up to a maximum of 36 months. The conversion ratio used to be 50%. Now is 40%, so the difference is minimal and the price of Core/Essential has not changed, so it's an excellent deal!
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@Scrubchub Sometimes, the easiest way is to read the official sources. These articles are fine because they highlight different things and I'm sure the engagement is extremely high right now, but so many of them can be confusing!
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
On the Rewards topic, until now you got the same points on all tiers, with Ultimate having exclusive perks, like the expansion of Persona 3 Reload. Now, if you choose Ultimate, you are getting more points by playing and purchasing games, which is also worth consider. Regarding purchases, you get 20-30% discount for purchasing games and 4x points (credit) for getting more games in the future.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
@MKCustodial
There is a list with all the games that are included in each tier.
You can sort by name and change the tier on the left side of the page. Important note: Premium will get all first-party games within a year except Call of Duty.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Conversion Rates For Game Pass Premium & Ultimate
@Cakefish When you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, we’ll convert any prepaid time you have on Xbox Game Pass or EA Play subscriptions and apply it toward Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the current conversion ratio, up to a maximum of 36 months.
Xbox Game Pass Essential conversion percentage: 40% of your remaining time will convert to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate time and be rounded up to the next full day. For example, 90 days remaining of Xbox Game Pass Essential will convert to 36 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate time.
https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/manage-subscriptions/xbox-game-pass-conversions
Re: 'Ubisoft+ Classics' Joins Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Hugely Expanding The Library
@AverageJoseph Great. Yeah, it think it's going to take a while to see Star Wars Outlaws (2024) there, although it failed to meet the sales target so who knows. It would make sense to add Immortals Fenyx Rising (2020) soon. We'll see.
Re: 'Ubisoft+ Classics' Joins Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Hugely Expanding The Library
@AverageJoseph I can't give you a definitive answer but, looking at this list, Assassin's Creed Origins (2017) is not included, so what you get is precisely the classics. However, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (2025) is included. Probably, their rule is no recent AAA games here.
I would start with the one you feel like playing, because I don't think they are removing old games they own, but adding more very slowly. If you haven't, play Rayman Legends, Prince of Persia or any Assassin's Creed game. I loved Syndicate and it's 60fps on Series X|S, like the rest of them except IV.
Re: Fortnite Crew's $11.99 Subscription Is Heading To Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members
@Jsb5150 This addition beats me. It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft pays Ubisoft 10 cents from each subscription for Classics, but they must be giving a good deal for the subscription of Epic's evergreen hit that costs $12 separately. A few years ago, you had to subscribe to Gold/Core to play Fortnite, but not now and this is for the most expensive tier.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@kmtrain83 If Game Pass is a good deal or not depends on how much you pay for the tier and how much you use it. It's true that it's not ownership, but you (and everybody else) don't replay most of the games you play once, and you can always buy those that you intend to. You can buy an Xbox game in the future, generally cheaper after 6-12 months, and your save will be waiting for free on the cloud (very underrated feature) and you won't need to buy the same game on the next platform. As far as digital purchases go, it's as user-friendly as possible. You have two options, ownership and subscription and you don't get penalised for switching nor stopping. You also get the PC version with Play Anywhere and I hope that more games join it. An "old" release like Hogwarts Legacy just did.
Re: Xbox Cloud Gaming Expands With 'Unlimited' Usage & Special Perks For Game Pass Members
Wasn't Cloud exclusive to Ultimate until now? At least until last year it was like that. Standard and Premium getting it for the same price is a huge bonus and makes sense if they want casual users using Cloud.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Conversion Rates For Game Pass Premium & Ultimate
@Scrubchub Okay, I just read this. So basically, PC-Ultimate is the better conversion right now with those prices.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@Scrubchub Isn't the Core-Ultimate conversion better than the EA-Ultimate conversion? I haven't checked recently, though. EDIT: I see you did the maths here:
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2025/10/xbox-reveals-new-conversion-rates-for-game-pass-premium-and-ultimate#comment8846951
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@kmtrain83 The third-party codes are legal. They are not random codes nor stolen. I don't know why they are cheaper, though, and I don't know why Microsoft is the only of the three that let third parties sell subscriptions. They are more generous with free credit as well and have this conversion that I didn't expect to only be 10% more expensive now.
Yeah, the monthly subscription price of one of the three tiers is much more expensive now, no doubt about it and 100% of the users agree, but there are more options for everyone that has five minutes. It's true that they added extras, but the added value is more an excuse to make Ultimate more expensive. The Ubisoft deal for older titles must have cost peanuts. The Fortnite subscription is more surprising, as it's relatively expensive on its own ($€10).
Games are very expensive on day one now, on all platforms, including PC. The price is the same: $€70 for the standard editions. Even Nintendo's old ports are not much cheaper. Microsoft has more studios now, so they thought that people that want to play more games at a higher price on day one have to pay the price. Of course, it's not great for us that were paying little for Ultimate until now, and of course it's silly to say that they are giving more options, because that would have been Ultimate and Ultimate Plus. It's as simple as that gaming is getting more expensive for consumers across the board, and playing new games on day one is becoming a luxury.
If anyone is curious, I've been subscribed to Game Pass since it was some kind of beta that did not even have first-party game on day one. The price has increased progressively, the content as well, but I've never paid the full price. I've always used codes for Gold and Core and the conversion to Ultimate, and all the Microsoft credit that I earn even not doing anything but just playing games and using Bing has been used for buying games.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@kmtrain83
But let's get real, none of the people writing here (or very few) are paying full price for Ultimate. You only pay full price if you have a recurrent monthly subscription and don't redeem any of the Rewards points you inevitably get for Microsoft credit. If you do the Standard-Ultimate conversion, Ultimate is only 10% more expensive now. You can also buy third-party codes for Ultimate and the other tiers.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Premium May Be The Best-Value Tier Right Now, With Almost 50 Games Added
The best deal is Ultimate: the conversion ratio was 50% until now for Core/Essential whose price has not changed and the conversion ratio is 40% now. Granted, you need your Ultimate subscription to expire and then subscribe to Essential and upgrade, but it's something you just need to do once every three years.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Conversion Rates For Game Pass Premium & Ultimate
It was 50% until now and the price of Core/Essential has not changed, so this is a great deal, right? Granted, you need your Ultimate subscription to expire and then subscribe to Essential and upgrade.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@Cakefish Interesting question. Many think that online will be free next generation, at least on Xbox, because of Play Anywhere and the third-party stores reportedly being part of the same ecosystem. My guess is that it will be free indeed and every Game Pass tier is there for the games and cloud gaming.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@JumpingJackson The biggest market besides the infested-with-microtransactions mobile market is PC. As the gaming version of Windows gets improved, I'd say yes, versatile devices like handheld PCs or gaming handhelds with video output have a bright future ahead that will benefit Xbox Play Anywhere and the PC ports of PS5/6... (and Nintendo emulators?) The newer generations don't want walled gardens nor paying much more for much less.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
@fatpunkslim I completely agree, but Microsoft must have stricken a cheap deal for the Ubisoft Classics (not the top tier) and Fortnite subscription, so the increase is not to pay for that. I think that they wouldn't use all the extra money for the new deals because they wouldn't earn extra cash and would potentially lose Ultimate subscribers. The extras are merely an excuse to make the ultimate subscription more expensive. Of course, it would be better to have Ultimate and Ultimate Plus!
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
The price of Ultimate was too good (fine by me) for a subscription that includes on day one all first-party games by the publisher with the greatest number of studios plus some excellent third-party titles. If this was the only tier, it would be disappointing, but with two cheaper options, well, you have two other options or just buy the games you want. Anyway, you can get a much better deal converting Standard to Ultimate, unless they just changed the conversion ratios, which wouldn't be surprising, but still a better deal than a recurrent Ultimate monthly subscription.
Re: Xbox Boss Names Four Franchises That Fans Keep Asking To See Revived
@datamonkey Yes. He gets a lot of requests about Rare's IPs. He has mentioned Banjo-Kazooie as one of them a few times. Now, he's probably being asked about Perfect Dark 3, that should have been outsourced to Crystal Dynamics after the understandable closure of The Initiative... ironic name. That project not being finished by the ones that saved it is a disastrous decision. However, I understand that his power and communication are limited by the higher-ups, unfortunately.
Re: Xbox Boss Names Four Franchises That Fans Keep Asking To See Revived
It seems that he consciously avoided mentioning Rare's IPs this time.
Re: Hogwarts Legacy Gets Surprise Xbox Play Anywhere Support, Over Two Years Since Release
I would love Play Anywhere being added to more old and new releases. It's amazing having the console version and getting the PC/gaming handheld for free, with cross saves!
Re: FF7 Remake Director Talks Developing For Xbox Series S, Praises The 'Solid' Hardware
I prefer Series X, but Series S must be the most underrated console ever.
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From The Xbox Showcase At Tokyo Game Show 2025
I'm looking forward to Fatal Frame, previously known as Project Zero here. @FraserG There is a mistake in the Dragon Quest link, you wrote Capcom when you wanted to write Square Enix. 😁 Thank you for covering all the Xbox news!
Re: Xbox Confirms Forza Horizon 6 Will Come To PS5, But Not On Launch
I think that they are trying to make Play Anywhere mandatory for third parties. The new releases of Final Fantasy are Play Anywhere, but not the older, and many releases seem to follow this pattern. Timed exclusivity for their own games like Forza Horizon 6 makes a lot of sense because of Play Anywhere and Game Pass. At the end of the day, the PC market is the biggest besides the casual mobile market and Game Pass is on Xbox consoles, PC, gaming handhelds and mobile devices.
Re: Hades 2 Becomes 2025's Highest-Rated New Game Ahead Of Eventual Xbox Release
@Rafie I think it's likely because all games are coming to Series X|S and there is even a Windows version (and Mac!) at launch. I read a recent interview and they don't talk about other consoles, but excessively praise Nintendo hardware and make clear that the game runs great on the first Nintendo Switch.
Re: Capcom Is Bringing The First Two Monster Hunter Stories Games To Xbox In 2025
I'm happy about Xbox basically getting everything. I saw the thumbnail on my phone while walking and for a second I thought it was something about Banjo-Kazooie. 😂
Re: Hades 2 Becomes 2025's Highest-Rated New Game Ahead Of Eventual Xbox Release
Did Nintendo pay the studio for timed console exclusivity, or is it one of those cases of indies prioritising development for Nintendo platforms simply because they sold a lot more copies on Nintendo Switch than on the other consoles?
I played the first one on Series X where it run smoothly and looks great. I'm not a fan of the genre, but I liked and beat this game. If I remember well, it joined Game Pass when the Xbox version released.
Re: Microsoft Store Tells Xbox Fans To 'Check Your Chat' For Free Money
@abe_hikura A suggestion. One of the reasons.I stopped buying digital games and DLC on PS is because Sony doesn't issue invoices even when you specifically ask their customer service for them. On Xbox, you can download invoices for every order. So, go to your Xbox order history on a PC and download the invoices clicking on each order. This legally proves you own those games. If there is an issue in the future, you just show them your invoice.
I also recommend you to active the 2-step verification or password-less account. This doesn't affect your authorised Home console, so you can still log in automatically just turning it on. There is a guy who had his account stolen and lost access to all his 1,000+ games. There are bots in some countries that constantly try to steal accounts using random passwords, especially accounts with a big library.
Re: Microsoft Store Tells Xbox Fans To 'Check Your Chat' For Free Money
@abe_hikura Could it be that you needed to buy the DLC before the special offer was announced? I remember reading that. I had the DLC since it was available, with a discount precisely because of my Game Pass subscription, and got the free code for the game. I know people that bought the DLC late didn't get the free code, but I don't know when you did.
Re: Microsoft Store Tells Xbox Fans To 'Check Your Chat' For Free Money
I got the Check your chat prompt but no message yet.
Re: Xbox Store Links Discovered For Horizon: Zero Dawn & Other PS5 Games, But Don't Get Excited
@Coletrain I don't like The Last of Us, but I think that's another one (well, two) that would do very well on Xbox, with the TV series having 2 seasons so far. The other options make sense as well... and God of War, among others.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 20-21)
@Bmartin001 Friend, I beat Rayman Legends 100% recently. Those 8-bit levels are insane. I enjoy backwards compatible a lot, now I'm playing the third part of Final Fantasy XIII with FPS Boost. I haven't played Rayman Origins yet, but I will. Rayman Legends is one of the best platformers ever.
Re: Microsoft Announces New Price Increases For Xbox Series X|S In The US
@BattleMonkey That's right. Xbox Series X – 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition is implicitly a special edition of the same console, so its price is not noteworthy, most of all because it's usually out of stock.
Re: Microsoft Announces New Price Increases For Xbox Series X|S In The US
@ilyn
Lie. The person I replied to was comparing it to Switch 2 and PS5 Pro.
Re: Microsoft Announces New Price Increases For Xbox Series X|S In The US
@Dodoo @carlos82 Not really the same. I like Nintendo as well, but Series S is much better value than Switch 2 for the reasons I explained, while PS5 is better value than PS5 Pro if you like Sony's games, which is what I said (I read on PS that you got a PS5 Pro and will get a PS6 at launch). You did, but I didn't compare Series X and PS5, because that's down to personal preferences and both are solid options. I compared Xbox consoles ("any") with Switch 2 and PS5 Pro because the person I replied to was comparing any Xbox with Switch 2 and PS5 Pro, which are the worst value right now, I already explained why, but of course you are free to dislike Xbox to the point that nothing is worse value and we will never agree, so it's pointless to discuss it.
Re: Microsoft Announces New Price Increases For Xbox Series X|S In The US
@Fishmasterflex96 I said the opposite, that we need to accept that these companies are not our friends.
@kmtrain83 Switch 2 is for Mario Kart World and DK Bananza, though. Almost all third-party games are last gen and more expensive and the few that are current-gen are downgraded, like Star Wars Outlaws that has lower resolution, lower frame rate, lower geometry, missing assets and downgraded textures compared to the Series S version. Series S is much better value because it's more powerful, has current-gen and cheaper games plus Game Pass. Yes, Switch 2 is portable, but right now is not great value, just like 3DS wasn't at launch, and certainly PS5 Pro isn't great value either. Recommending Switch 2, with the most expensive and basically last-gen games, and PS5 Pro, the most expensive console with the same CPU, disappointing graphics upgrades and no disc drive compared to PS5 over any Xbox is just the result of you preferring Nintendo and Sony's consoles, and that's fine. 😊
Re: Microsoft Announces New Price Increases For Xbox Series X|S In The US
@SeaDaVie @theduckofdeath Yep, with better specs and more storage, the Series X is more expensive to manufacture. We have to accept that the era of subsidised consoles is ending and that includes Sony as well.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Say About New Xbox Kart Racer Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
I also think that Sonic has better racing games than Mario unless we go back in time, and I'm not a huge fan of 8 either, despite having it on Wii U and Switch with all the DLC since launch. Team Sonic Racing is a great game, but it's.. pure? Some people say bland. I don't think that's the word. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is awesome, it has amazing water, air and ground controls and physics and I love it at 60fps on Series X, but I also consider that Team Sonic Racing does a couple of things better. I'm very happy to see that Sonic Racing Cross Worlds has met positive reviews and takes things from both. It certainly deserves them because Sega games, unlike Nintendo's, aren't overrated.
Re: Opinion: The Value Proposition Of Xbox Series S Is Better Than Ever In 2025
@FrenchVaniIIuxe The hardest part of your work is what usually makes you better.
Re: Opinion: The Value Proposition Of Xbox Series S Is Better Than Ever In 2025
Nice article. I prefer Series X, but Series S is a fantastic machine, the best value in consoles and, like Ben says, there are too many games for it and you don't need to break the bank. It also has Quick Resume, FPS Boost and full backwards compatibility, except Xbox One X enhancements.
On top of the price of Nintendo Switch 2 and pro controller mentioned here, Donkey Kong Bananza costs $70, the DLC which is basically one level $20 and Wii games $40 (they cost $20 on Wii U).
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Is Getting New 'Streamlined Progress' Features For Its Xbox Launch
It seems like a semi-automatic mode for enjoying the story. I'd never use it, but I don't mind at all if it exists and people choose to play like that. I would never use it because I'd never learn to play a game like that and I'd never really enjoy it, but if some players want to rush the game or focus on the story, it's absolutely fine. Even playing Donkey Kong Country Returns and other games that have unfair sections that you can only beat after learning the layout of the level by heart, I have never used the assistance! 😂 However, playing some games I have not tried before and are fast-paced, I may start with the easiest difficulty mode, like Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. That case is an exception, because I learnt to play like that.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Finally Heads To Xbox In January 2026
The two editions are available for pre-order now. They both are limited early purchase editions and include the original game. The only difference is the Square Enix Digital Content Viewer of the Digital Deluxe Edition. The prices are £40/€50/$40 for Standard and £55/€70/$60 for Digital Deluxe. Standard for me.
I almost got it on PS4, but I'm glad I waited until the Series X version because I've heard that the PS4 version looks quite ugly. I remember my conversations with good old NEStalgia and somehow I knew all Final Fantasy games were coming to Xbox eventually, but he couldn't believe it. The funny thing is that I haven't played all the other entries after all these years.
I also want to play the Dragon Quest games. I played both Octopath Travellers games and I loved them. The second one has excellent quality of life additions so I enjoyed beating it 100%.