Xbox Game Pass Core explained – what you need to know
If you own an Xbox Series X|S and want to game on a budget, Microsoft’s newly introduced Xbox Game Pass Core tier could be a great alternative.
Xbox Game Pass has quickly become many Xbox players' preferred way to enjoy video games – and it’s easy to see why. For just one low monthly cost, you gain instant access to a library consisting of literally hundreds of games. This offsets the need to purchase them piecemeal, potentially saving you a great deal of money in the long term. For some, however, even the price tag on the base Xbox Game Pass tier is tough to swallow, hence the introduction of Xbox Game Pass Core back in September of this year.
The new tier has replaced Xbox Live Gold, with Microsoft calling it an evolution of its rather ancient subscription service that debuted on the Xbox 360 in 2013. Xbox Game Pass Core offers up almost exactly the same benefits as Xbox Live Gold for the same price, but instead of just two free games per month, members get access to a catalogue of titles instead, so you're getting significantly more for your money.
The name and content change sees Xbox Game Pass Core slip seamlessly into the Game Pass family of plans, and any existing Xbox Live Gold members were automatically migrated over to Game Pass Core. Of course, you can always cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription if you're not happy with that, and look into all of the Xbox Game Pass tiers before committing to anything new.
Here's everything you need to know about Xbox Game Pass Core, including the price and all free games included in the service.
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Xbox Game Pass Core vs Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Core is the fourth and newest tier in Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass monthly subscription service. The cheapest and most basic tier replaces Xbox Live Gold and sits just under the Xbox Game Pass PC tier in terms of price. Aimed at console players, it's the lowest cost option available, with Xbox Game Pass Console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate being your other two options if you're playing on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or last-gen Xbox consoles.
The most important thing to note is that you'll need either an Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to access online console multiplayer. Both Xbox Game Pass Console and Xbox Game Pass PC have their own perks but neither includes online console multiplayer. So how does this new tier stack up when it comes to Xbox Game Pass Core vs Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
You need either Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if you want to play games online (Microsoft)Xbox Game Pass Core offers online console multiplayer, a limited catalogue of over 25 games, member deals and discounts, and access to select, fully featured games with Free Play Days. Basically the same as Xbox Live Gold but with a (limited) game library rather than the old model of two free games per month.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also offers online console multiplayer, and member deals and discounts, but the heftier price tag also covers new games on day one, EA Play membership, and access to hundreds of games on console, PC and the Xbox Cloud Gaming service.
Xbox Game Pass Core: price
Microsoft may have done away with its Xbox Live Gold service but the Xbox Game Pass Core price is exactly the same, and the benefits are marginally better. The Xbox Game Pass Core price is£6.99 / $9.99 / AU$10.95 which is a few quid (or your currency of choice) cheaper than the standard Xbox Game Pass Console price of £8.99 / $10.99 / AU$11.95.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate comes in at £12.99 / $16.99 / AU$18.95 per month so it's a bit of a step up from the Xbox Game Pass Core price, but if you want extra benefits like playing AAA games like Starfield at launch without technically paying for them, or a massive library of current and past-gen games on PC, console and the cloud, then you can justify the extra cost. If you're just in it for online console multiplayer and a few freebies every now and then, the Xbox Game Pass Core price and content might be more appealing.
Xbox Game Pass Core: games list
Given the library of Xbox Game Pass Core games, it'll be hit and miss as to whether you prefer the Xbox Live Gold monthly freebies or what the newest tier has to offer. There are some fantastic Xbox Game Pass Core games included in the catalogue, but they're not exactly new; if you're an avid gamer you may have ticked these off your list already.
That being said, Microsoft is adding to that catalogue with the first additions to the Xbox Game Pass Core games list rolling out in the December 2023 Game Pass lineup. The list of games included is currently a curated selection of 38 titles. Here’s the full list of Xbox Game Pass Core games included in your subscription right now:
- Among Us
- Astroneer
- Celeste
- Chivalry 2
- Dead Cells
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- Doom Eternal Standard Edition
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Firewatch
- Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition
- Gang Beasts
- Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition
- Golf with your Friends
- Grounded
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Human Fall Flat
- Inside
- Limbo
- Ori & the Will of the Wisps
- Overcooked! 2
- Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
- Powerwash Simulator
- Psychonauts 2
- Slay the Spire
- Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
- Stardew Valley
- State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
- Superliminal
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- Unpacking
- Vampire Survivors
Unlike Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core’s library has been extremely fixed so far, and there isn’t much precedent for it being updated regularly. This means for your monthly fee you’ll have access to mostly the same selection of 38 titles, whereas the two other tiers get to enjoy new releases and old favourites being added fairly frequently.
Even still, if you were to add up how much all 38 games would cost you when bought separately, the monthly price of Xbox Game Pass Core still represents great value.
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