• [Dailystar Icon]
• Tech
• Gaming
• XBox

'Xbox Game Pass is finally hitting its stride but is it enough?'

Microsoft's subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, has grown into a must-have this year thanks to a whole host of big releases, but is it enough to help Xbox catch up to PlayStation?

[Xbox]

Game Pass is arguably more important than an Xbox console these days(Image: Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Itd be fair to say at times that Xboxs strategy this console generation has been clear as mud.

From its opening salvo of multiplatform releases on PlayStation and Switch, to other games being released day and date on other systems, and some even looking better on PS5 Pro, youd be reasonably wondering if you need an Xbox at all.

In fact, Microsoft agrees, with its This is an Xbox pretty much labelling everything except your toaster and the kitchen sink as a console of sorts. The Xbox as we know it is long gone, it seems, but in its place, Xbox Game Pass feels like its grown in momentum month after month .

Is it enough to turn the tide? Its hard to say.

Build it, and they will come

[Halo Infinite]

Halo Infinite marked a sort of 'false dawn' for Game Pass back in 2021(Image: ESA PR Supplied.)

Cast your mind back to late 2021. Microsoft released Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite in consecutive months, and it felt as though Xbox Game Pass was about to kick into overdrive.

Sadly, things went a little quieter after that (and Halos momentum was curtailed for other reasons), but now, years later, it feels Xbox Game Pass is poised to finally hit some kind of stride.

Itd be fair to say that Microsofts acquisition of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard has left it with a studio portfolio that would make many envious, but its not really managed to line up its releases. Even Avowed, one of this years best games (and one well touch on shortly), was slated for last year before Microsoft nudged it to 2025.

Still, as it turns out, having great games on your platform will get players through the door, and if youve got a PC then youre in an even better position.

[Stalker 2 screenshot showing a player exploring a dark area]

Stalker 2 has been heavily patched since launch(Image: GSC Game World)

September saw Frostpunk 2 arrive on Xbox Game Pass for PC, while October added Call of Duty Black Ops 6. November brought with it STALKER 2 on day one, and December saw the year out with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Unlike 2021, though, Microsoft has kept things moving between calendar years. January kicked off with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black as a stealth release, along with GOTY sequel Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. February added Avowed, March brought with it Atomfall, and April added South of Midnight, critical darling Blue Prince, and the day one release of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

All of these games are available on PS5, sure, but the cost would be astronomical to play all of them, and Microsoft still isnt done.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is on PC and Xbox, along with Monster Train 2, this month, while Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4 remakes , Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Gears of War: Reloaded, The Outer Worlds 2 and much more are still coming in 2025.

Its a frankly ridiculous list of games with more to come in 2026, and thats saying nothing of freebies like in-game items for League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and more, as well as this weeks announcement of a huge retro game collection .

A question of price

[Elder Scrolls Online]

ESO is still growing, even after a decade(Image: Bethesda Softworks/ZeniMax Media )

One of the biggest knocks against Game Pass in recent years has been the increase in price, and while theres an argument to be made about Microsofts tiers making it harder to know if youre getting a game on day one, Xbox Game Pass Core continues to grow.

Core is cheaper than the Ultimate option that includes console and PC, but it does have a sizeable collection of games for budget-conscious players.

The recently added Retro Classics are included, for example, as well as Bethesda hits like DOOM Eternal, Dishonored 2, and Fallout 4. For casual gamers, that might be enough.

In fact, theres a whole host of games included that could consume your week if you let them, like State of Decay 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Stardew Valley.

That means theres likely to be something for everyone while you wait for more recent releases to trickle down.

Is it enough?

[Xbox Game Pass logo]

Game Pass has really come into its own this year(Image: Microsoft)

Most of my friends have a PlayStation 5, so if a game doesnt have cross-play, thats where I play my gamesGame Pass or no.

I do wonder how many feel the same, and see the appeal of Game Pass but simply dont have the inclination (or money) to pick up a second console to play games cheaper in the long run, especially with so many coming to PlayStation in the future.

Given Microsoft now has the keys to Warcraft, Overwatch, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Gears of War, Halo, Forza and so much more, I wonder if theres ever a scenario where they start to rebuild walls between their franchises.

Sure, Call of Duty will keep making money hand over fist on as many platforms as possible, but would the next Dishonored be worth putting on all platforms when you could keep it to the Xbox platform as an added incentive?

Microsoft cant be happy with being in second place for another console generation, and while I do wonder if Sony will eventually reckon with rising budgets by starting to move its own games elsewhere (and not just to PC), Id wager well get one more Xbox generation at most before the company goes the way of SEGA.

What do you think? Does Game Pass interest you? Are you always likely to play where your friends are? And can Microsoft keep up this momentum?

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.