Ever find yourself cycling through the same old games? If your collection’s getting stale, Xbox Game Pass is definitely your friend. There are hundreds of games right at your fingertips, ready to play whenever it takes your fancy! And you can play on Xbox, PC, supported handhelds, tablets or loads more devices that can handle cloud gaming. Then there are exclusive discounts, rewards and lots more.

Sound good? Well then let’s back up a bit. Here’s the lowdown on everything Xbox Game Pass.

What is Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service for your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S games console or PC. For a monthly subscription, you get unlimited access to an impressive catalogue of games. Play them as often as you like, for as long as you like. In other words, it’s Netflix for gamers. So put down the remote, pick up the controller and get ready for a gaming binge.

What’s more, Game Pass lets you download and play new games the day they’re released – at no extra cost. Games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong were all on Game Pass day one!

Top games on Xbox Game Pass

Game Pass isn’t short on big‑name titles, and a scroll through its library feels a bit like walking into a museum of gaming icons — only you can actually play everything. Here are a few standout franchises you’ll spot the moment you land in the catalogue.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

If you’ve ever wondered why people get misty‑eyed talking about Halo, this collection answers it. It bundles multiple campaigns, classic multiplayer and a whole lot of nostalgia — but with modern polish. Find out Master Chief is still such a legend!

Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition

Still one of the most quoted, debated and replayed RPGs out there. New Vegas lets you wander the desert, make questionable alliances and role‑play your way through a story that reacts to practically everything you do. With all the DLC included and so many branching options, it’s a game you’ll never stop playing. Or talking about!

EA Sports Madden NFL 25

Whether you follow the NFL religiously or just enjoy a good button‑mashing touchdown moment, Madden offers that familiar mix of strategy, play‑calling and “did-I-just-pull-that-off?” chaos. It’s sports gaming comfort food.

Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox Series X|S)

You know this one. Everyone knows this one. Jump into Los Santos for the story, stay for the endless freedom to wander, experiment and get distracted by side missions you definitely weren’t planning to do. The updated Series X|S version looks and runs better than ever!

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Remastered

Before Skyrim became the game people buy for every device ever made, Oblivion was the Elder Scrolls entry everyone couldn’t stop talking about. The remaster gives it a fresh coat of paint while keeping all the charm — open‑world wandering, bizarre side quests and that classic “I’ll just explore for five minutes…” feeling that somehow becomes three hours.

Comparing Xbox membership plans

Xbox now offers three membership tiers - Essential, Premium and Ultimate. Each built around different levels of access, cloud features and rewards. While all three allow players to use the same core ecosystem, there’s lot of difference between tiers diverge - from library size to perks.

So here are the main differences to help you get what each plan includes.

Essential

The Essential tier is the most streamlined option. It provides access to a rotating library of 50+ games across Xbox consoles, PC and compatible devices, along with the ability to play certain owned titles via cloud streaming.

It includes standard online console multiplayer and offers up to 25,000 Microsoft Rewards points per year for in‑Store activity. Players of titles like League of Legends or Call of Duty: Warzone receive additional in‑game benefits.

Premium

Premium expands the scope to 200+ games and includes titles from Xbox’s own publishing groups added to the library within 12 months of launch.

Cloud streaming is available with shorter wait times compared to Essential, and it supports streaming of select games players already own. Rewards earning potential increases to 50,000 points per year, and online multiplayer is included. The same in‑game perks for major free‑to‑play titles apply here as well.

Ultimate

Ultimate is the most extensive tier, with a library exceeding 400 games, including day‑one access to new titles from both Xbox and participating third‑party publishers.

It bundles extra services - Fortnite Crew, EA Play, and Ubisoft+ Classics - and gives you the fastest cloud-streaming experience with the highest quality settings. Rewards earning potential rises to 100,000 points per year. Online console multiplayer and the same in‑game partner benefits are included.

Our fave games coming to Game Pass Day One

Game Pass already has a stacked library, but the upcoming lineup is where things get genuinely exciting. Over the next year, Xbox is rolling out some of its most anticipated first‑party titles ever — new entries in flagship franchises, ambitious reboots, and a couple of completely fresh worlds to get lost in. If you’re on Game Pass Ultimate, you can play these on the day they’re released….

Forza Horizon 6 - Arriving May 19, 2026

If you’ve ever wanted to tear through neon-lit cities, mountain passes and winding coastal roads in Japan, Forza Horizon 6 is basically handing you the keys. It drops day one onto Game Pass, with the Japan setting finally making long‑standing fan wishes a reality.

Expect the usual Horizon mix of high-speed freedom, a massive map and more cars than you can possibly keep track of. Based on early previews and release details, it’s shaping up to be Xbox’s biggest racing launch of the year.

Fable - Launching Autumn 2026

The beloved fairytale‑meets‑chaos RPG is finally getting its reboot. This new Fable drops you back into Albion - only this time, your choices have sharper consequences, your reputation really matters and the world reacts to everything you do.

It looks like a fresh start rather than a simple revival, blending modern RPG systems with the strange charm the series is known for.

Clockwork Revolution

If you like your RPGs with a dash of steampunk and time travel, Clockwork Revolution should be on your radar.

Set in the towering city of Avalon, you’ll jump between timelines, influence history and watch entire districts morph based on your choices. It’s giving “BioShock meets Fallout with time manipulation,” and it’s landing on Game Pass from day one.

Gears of War: E-Day

This one’s a huge moment for long‑time fans. Instead of jumping forward, Gears is rewinding the clock to the most important day in the series: Emergence Day.

You’ll experience the raw chaos of the Locust’s first appearance through Marcus and Dom before they became legends. Early details point to a darker, more intense tone, built in Unreal Engine 5 — and it’s scheduled to launch this year.

State of Decay 3

While it doesn’t have a locked release window yet, State of Decay 3 is very much alive. Xbox has given promising updates, confirming the game is “coming on really well” with teams actively playtesting it internally.

It’s still a mysterious one, but with its shift to Unreal Engine 5 and more ambitious survival systems hinted during development updates, it’s shaping into one of the most intriguing Xbox projects on the horizon.

Is Xbox Game Pass available in my country?

The Xbox Game Pass is currently available in the following countries, with more to come:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.