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What Is Xbox Game Pass?
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It’s funny to think that just a few years ago, if you wanted a lot of entertainment you had to buy a lot of entertainment. But with the technology that allows us to stream content getting faster and faster, it seems like far fewer people spend the money it takes to build a collection. Instead, most people opt for a streaming service. Services like Xbox Game Pass and Playstation Now let you stream and download a collection of video games, all for one monthly price. In this Xbox Game Pass review, we’ll give you everything you need to know about Game Pass, its competitors, and whether or not it’s right for you.
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Game Pass Specs
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While some people like to refer to this service as “The Netflix of Gaming”, that title isn’t entirely accurate. Unlike Netflix, where you’re streaming the content, Game Pass allows you to download the games so that you don’t need to worry about lagging or spotty internet connections interfering with your gaming sessions.
The service lets you choose from three options to best suit which type of gaming you like best. One option allows you to download and play the games on your Xbox One console. For you PC gamers out there, another option allows you to download and play Xbox games onto your PC; a feature that was not available until recently. And a third option allows you to download and play games onto both console and PC for the best of both worlds.
The catalog of games includes something for everyone, with titles ranging from Action and Adventure games to Shooters and Fighters, to Puzzle and Indie games that are great for kids. New games are constantly being added, meaning that you’ll never be without something new to play.
Pricing
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We considered many factors in this Xbox Game Pass review, and our verdict is that, overall, the price seems quite reasonable. The price is different for the console, PC, and combined options, but any of the choices can be had for less than $$ per month. Since most older games are $$ at the lowest, Xbox Game Pass seems like a pretty small investment for a big payoff. To subscribe, simply visit Xbox’s website, where you can learn more about the plans and pricing options.
How It Compares
To make this Xbox Game Pass Review as thorough as possible, we’ve included a breakdown of other similar services, and how Game Pass compares. In addition to the Xbox, we look at these competitors:
- Apple Arcade
- PlayStation Now
- Hatch
XBox Game Pass Review
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- Features
- Customer Service
- Variety of Games
The ability to download all games truly sets Xbox Game Pass apart. Without worrying about spotty connections from a bad internet connection, you can really explore the variety of the service’s catalog with no hiccups.
This was five out of five, no question about it. The biggest fault in most city-building survival games is the lack of any kind of narrative. Introducing a mystery plot late in the game drives a new challenge and an exciting end-game.
While there do seem to be a few filler and fluff games, most titles featured on this service are really incredible. Even the small handful of high-level games available could easily keep you busy for months on end. Just make sure you don’t get stuck on only one game for too long so that you can get your money’s worth!
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- Features
- Customer Service
- Variety of Games
While Playstation Now also allows you to stream either to a console or PC, its biggest downfall is that many of the games can’t be downloaded, and must be streamed. For a lot of users this won’t be a problem; but for many with less-than-perfect internet connections, the lag that results from this can really ruin a gaming session that requires quick reflexes and reactions.
Unlike Xbox Game Pass, the help hotline number is readily available, as well as the other options such as FAQ and forums.
With over 750 titles available, it’s easy to award this service the full 5 stars. Like with Game Pass, the catalog is bound to contain a few filler titles, but many of these games are of the highest quality, and could keep even the hungriest of gamers satisfied for years on end.
Hatch Review
- Features
- Customer Service
- Variety of Games
While Hatch boasts that it can be played on any screen instantly, it’s currently only available on Android. What’s more concerning is that when we tried to go play Hatch, we got an error message saying that Hatch is not yet available in the United States, but will be coming sometime in 2019. So until Hatch makes itself available on OS and in the United States, it only earns one star from us.
Unlike the tech giants Sony and Microsoft, Hatch isn’t likely to boast the same Customer Service as the other options. We were unable to find a help hotline number; but they do have a pretty sizeable FAQ and options to contact them.
While some games on this platform do seem genuinely inventive and fun or even addicting to play, the quality of game just can’t match up to a full console game. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have hours of fun with what’s available, but it seems more suited to passing time on your phone than it does to a truly rewarding gaming experience.
Honorable Mention: Apple Arcade Review
- Features
- Customer Service
- Variety of Games
Apple has always been known for an intuitive and refreshing tech experience, and you should expect Apple Arcade to be no different. The games will be available on both Apple handheld and computer devices, which is great for Apple fans but leaves Android users in the dark.
While getting help online can always be tricky, count on Apple to provide excellent customer support right in their stores; a feature that the other services are less likely to provide. While we can’t say for sure yet as it hasn’t been released, we imagine that a trip to the Apple store will be able to answer any questions you have once the platform is released.
It seems as though Apple is really spending a good chunk of change on amassing a solid catalog of games for this platform, and some of them look quite inventive and very fun. However, these titles are likely to be better suited to mobile gaming than the depth of play you can expect from a full console game.
Our Verdict
After considerable research, the conclusion of this Xbox Game Pass review is that overall, Xbox Game Pass is indeed the best value. Playstation Now is a close second, and for those of you with a Playstation 4 instead of an Xbox One, it’s likely the better choice. However, for Xbox One owners, PC gamers, and gamers in general, the Xbox Game Pass earns 4 stars out of 5.
While the catalog of games is less expansive than that of Playstation Now, the ability to download the games rather than streaming them is what truly sets this service apart in our opinion. While we were testing the Playstation Now service, even with a good internet connection, there were frequent instances of frame rates slowing down, making the games look less good or at times hard to play. However, the titles we played for this Xbox Game Pass Review were all seamless and solid, with no lag time to speak of.
The only real downside for Game Pass is that it does require a lot of memory in your hard drive. However, if you have a PC or Xbox One with a larger capacity for storage, you should be good to go. Not to mention that with unlimited downloads you can always delete and re-download titles as you see fit.
This service is going to be the best value for gamers who stay busy and like playing a bit of everything. There are certain titles available that could truly keep you occupied for several months or even years, and if you’re the type of gamer who likes doing deep dives of games and sticking with them for long periods of time, you may get the best value by simply buying your games one at a time. However, if you’re a gamer on a budget that likes playing a wide variety of great games, take it from our exhaustive Xbox Game Pass Review: this service is the one for you.
Last update on 2023-06-04 at 04:14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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