Well folks, it finally happened. After years of Xbox promising an increased focus on PC players, Phil Spencer finally delivered with Xbox Game Pass PC Games. Read on to learn how to get over 100 games for $1/month (which will jump up to $5 a month after the first month, then at some point after that will match the Xbox Game Pass Price at $10 a month).
Update: check out the best 40+ PC Game Pass games as of November 1st, 2019.
Xbox Game Pass Specifically For PC
Previously, you could (and I did) play Game Pass games without even having an Xbox. This is because Xbox Play Anywhere allows you to play certain Xbox games on your PC, even if you don’t have an Xbox at all. Anyways, some of the Game Pass games were available through Play Anywhere (mostly the first party Microsoft games), so there was something of a loophole where PC players could subscribe to Game Pass and play about 15 games on PC without having an Xbox or Xbox Live Gold (because Microsoft lets you play multiplayer Xbox games on your PC without Gold. Don’t ask me why). Even with the few games available (which included Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Forza Horizon 4), I was happy to pay $10/month for Game Pass (supplemented with Microsoft Rewards) despite not having an Xbox.
Xbox Game Pass PC Games has changed the game though. Now, you can subscribe to Game Pass specifically for PC games, where you get access to every single one of those 15 or so games mentioned above that was available to PC players through Play Anywhere, but you also get about 100 more games on top of that. Further, Xbox Game Pass PC Games currently only costs $5/month (and will cost that much through the beta period, which will last… who knows?) compared to the $10/month for Xbox Game Pass (on Xbox). In other words, if you’re like me, you’re paying half the price for way more games. Now do you see why I’m so excited?
So What Games Are On Xbox Game Pass PC Games?
None of this matters if the games suck. Luckily, they don’t. For a complete list of games, click here. Some highlights include (in no particular order):
- Sea of Thieves
- State of Decay 2
- Forza Horizon 4
- Prey
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Football Manager 2019
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
- CrossCode
- We Happy Few
- Rime
- Sunset Overdrive
- Zoo Tycoon Ultimate Edition
- Crackdown 3
- Into the Breach
- Void Bastards
- West of Loathing
- Metro Exodus
Games that will be on it soon include The Outer Worlds (that’s right, you can use this to get around Epic Games Store exclusivity, as shown with Metro Exodus above) and Gears of War 5.
As you can see, it’s a great combination of big AAA experiences, slightly less ambitious AA games, and more intimate (but still great) indie games. Microsoft has pledged to put all of its first party games on both versions of Game Pass, but it’s also encouraging to see newer games here from third party publishers, like Rise of The Tomb Raider, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Into the Breach, Football Manager 2019, and We Happy Few.
Sounds Great, How Do I Sign Up For Xbox Game Pass PC Games?
It’s not immediately obvious how you start playing these games, though. Luckily, I’m here to help. First, make sure your Windows version is fully updated. If Windows Update doesn’t work in your system settings, you can force the May update here.
Now, download the Xbox beta app. It’s different than the regular Xbox app (which is now called Xbox console companion with the new update). This app is way more focused than the Windows store (which it replaces for gaming, which will surely cause some to rejoice) on games, and specifically Game Pass. From here, you can easily sign up for Game Pass PC Games (again, it’s $1 the first month, $5/month after that for the beta period, then will eventually go up to $10/month. For the amount and quality of games that are here, though, even $10/month is still a steal.
All you have to do now is download any game that seems interesting, since if you don’t like it you can just drop it without feeling guilty about wasting money! Also, if you’re only interested in one or two games, you might as well sign up for that first $1 month because you’re not gonna be able to find a better deal than that. Happy playing, and make sure to add me (QuinchoOsito) if you want to enjoy some Xbox Game Pass PC Games together!
