(Pocket-lint) - Microsoft has a couple of subscription services for owners of the Xbox One, Xbox Series X or Series S.

Xbox Live Gold is a monthly membership plan that is required for online play and, while it gives you a couple of free games a month, that's its primary purpose.

On the other hand, Xbox Game Pass is the firm's service that gives you access to hundreds of games for just one monthly fee.

They can each be paid for separately, but the best news is that you can get both, plus PC Game Pass, EA Play, Cloud Gaming and access to exclusive game discounts for a single, cheaper price.

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Here's everything you need to know about Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

What is Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate?

Xbox Games Pass gives you access to well over 300 games to download and play on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S for one monthly fee.

If you upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you also get Xbox Live Gold, PC Game Pass, EA Play and access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, all for the same price.

You can download the games and play them as often as you like, as long as you continue to pay the monthly fee. Some titles might become unavailable as others are added, but you also have the option of buying any of the collection outright at discounted prices.

Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games are part of the line-up, the latter two through backward compatibility, so there are plenty of top titles to choose from.

Microsoft adds releases of its own and many third-party games on the same day they are released in stores. This includes Halo Infinite and Bethesda's new, forthcoming sci-fi RPG, Starfield.

It could also include all of Activision Blizzard's vast back catalogue of titles, when Microsoft's acquisition completes, including legacy and new Call of Duty games.

The included Xbox Live Gold also gives subscribers exclusive discounts on many games on the Xbox Store.

How much does Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cost?

Xbox Games Pass Ultimate is priced at $14.99/£10.99 a month. You can cancel at any time.

As mentioned, it includes Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Games Pass for PC and EA Play. Plus, Microsoft's cloud service, Cloud Gaming, is part of Ultimate at no extra cost.

The standard console-only version of Games Pass doesn't include Gold, EA Play, Cloud Gaming or the PC version. It costs $9.99/£7.99 a month. It's the same price for the PC-only version when subscribed to separately. Ultimate is clearly the better deal.

What games are part of Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass will always offer more than 300 games, made up of Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox backward compatible titles.

Some might be switched in future for other games, but here is the current list of all the games that are currently available:

All the Xbox One & Series X/S games on Game Pass (as of 20 January 2022):

Note, all games run on Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X/S, but can have enhancements on the next-gen consoles. Some games will also feature Xbox's Auto HDR and/or FPS Boost technologies.

• AI: The Somnium Files
• A Plague Tale: Innocence
• A Way Out **
• Alien: Isolation
• Aliens: Fireteam Elite
• Among Us
• Anthem **
• Anvil
• Aragami 2
• Archvale
• ARK: Survival Evolved
• Art of Rally
• Assetto Corsa
• Astria Ascending
• Astroneer
• Atomicrops
• Back 4 Blood
• Backbone
• Bassmaster Fishing 2022
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Battlefield 1 **
• Battlefield 4 **
• Battlefield V **
• Battlefield Hardline **
• Battletoads
• Ben 10: Power Trip
• Black Desert
• Blair Witch
• Bleeding Edge
• Bloodroots
• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Breathedge
• Bridge Constructor Portal
• Broken Age
• Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
• Burnout Paradise Remastered **
• Bushiden - coming TBC
• Carrion
• Children of Morta
• Chinatown Detective Agency - coming TBC
• Cities: Skylines
• ClusterTruck
• Code Vein
• Conan Exiles
• Control
• Costume Quest 2
• Crackdown 3
• Craftopia
• Cricket 19
• Cris Tales
• Crown Trick
• Curse of the Dead Gods
• Cyber Shadow - leaving 31 January 2022
• Dandy Ace
• Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition
• Darkest Dungeon
• Day of the Tentacle Remastered
• DayZ
• Dead By Daylight: Special Edition
• Dead Cells
• Death's Door
• Deeeer Simulator
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Descenders
• Destroy All Humans
• Dirt 4 **

• Dirt 5 **
• Dirt Rally **
• Dirt Rally 2.0 **
• Dishonored: Definitive Edition
• Dishonored 2
• Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
• Disneyland Adventures
• Dodgeball Academia
• Don't Starve: Giant Edition
• Donut County
• Doom (1993)
• Doom (2016)
• Doom II
• Doom 3
• Doom 64
• Doom Eternal
• Double Kick Heroes
• Dragon Age Inquisition **
• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• Dragon Quest Builders 2
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
• Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
• Echo Generation
• eFootball PES 2021 Season Update
• Elite Dangerous
• Embr
• Empire of Sin
• Enter The Gungeon
• Evil Genius 2
• Exo One
• F1 2019 **
• F1 2020 **
• Fae Tactics
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Farming Simulator 19
• Fe **
• FIFA 15 **
• FIFA 16 **
• FIFA 17 **
• FIFA 18 **
• FIFA 20 **
• FIFA 21 **
• Final Fantasy VII
• Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
• Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
• Final Fantasy XIII-2
• Firewatch
• Flynn: Son of Crimson
• Football Manager 2022: Xbox Edition
• For Honor
• Forager
• Forza Horizon 4

• Forza Horizon 5
• Frostpunk: Console Edition
• Full Throttle Remastered
• Gang Beasts
• Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition
• Gears of War 4
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
• Gears Tactics
• Genesis Noir
• Goat Simulator
• Golf With Your Friends
• Gorogoa
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition
• GreedFall
• Grid **
• Grim Fandango Remastered
• Grounded
• Hades
• Halo 5: Guardians

• Halo Infinite
• Halo Wars 2
• Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
• Hello Neighbour 2 - coming TBC
• Hitman Trilogy
• Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
• Human Fall Flat
• Hypnospace Outlaw
• I Am Fish
• Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars
• Injustice 2
• Into the Pit
• It Takes Two
• Jurassic World Evolution
• Just Cause 4: Reloaded
• Katamari Damacy Reroll
• Kill It with Fire
• Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition
• Killer Queen Black
• Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5+2.5 Remix
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
• Knockout City **
• Lake
• Last Stop
• Lawn Mowing Simulator
• Lemnis Gate
• Lethal League Blaze
• Library of Ruina
• Limbo
• Lonely Mountains: Downhill
• Lost Words: Beyond the Page
• Madden NFL 15 **
• Madden NFL 16 **
• Madden NFL 17 **
• Madden NFL 18 **
• Madden NFL 19 **
• Madden NFL 20 **
• Madden NFL 21 **
• Madden NFL 25 **
• Maneater
• Marvel's Avengers
• Mass Effect: Andromeda **

• Mass Effect Legendary Edition **
• Max: The Curse of Brotherhood
• Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries
• Microsoft Flight Simulator
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War
• Midnight Fight Express - coming TBC
• Minecraft
• Minecraft Dungeons
• Mirror's Edge Catalyst **
• MLB The Show 21
• Monster Sanctuary
• Moonglow Bay
• Moonlighter
• Mortal Kombat 11
• Mortal Shell
• MotoGP 20
• My Friend Pedro
• My Time At Portia
• Myst
• Narita Boy
• NBA Live 18 **
• NBA Live 19 **
• NBA 2K21
• Need for Speed **
• Need for Speed Heat **
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered **
• Need for Speed Payback **
• Need for Speed Rivals **
• Neon Abyss
• Neoverse
• New Super Lucky's Tale
• Next Space Rebels
• NHL 18 **
• NHL 19 **
• NHL 20 **
• NHL 21 **
• NHL 94 Rewind **
• NieR: Automata Become as Gods Edition
• No Man's Sky
• Nobody Saves the World
• Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition
• Nowhere Prophet - leaving 31 January 2022
• Nuclear Throne
• Octopath Traveler
• Olija
• Omno
• One Piece Pirate Warriors 9
• One Step from Eden
• Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps
• Outer Wilds
• Outlast 2

• Outriders
• Overcooked! 2
• Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
• Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
• Peggle 2 **
• Phoenix Point
• Phogs!
• Pikuniku
• Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Ultimate Edition
• Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville **
• Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare **
• Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 **
• Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
• Prey
• Project Wingman
• Psychonauts 2
• Pupperazzi
• Quake Remastered
• Quantum Break
• Race with Ryan
• Rage 2
• Rain on Your Parade
• Raji: An Ancient Epic
• Rare Replay
• Recompile
• ReCore: Definitive Edition
• Remnant: From the Ashes
• Resident Evil 7 biohazard
• Ring of Pain
• Rocket Arena **
• Rory McIlroy PGA Tour **
• Rubber Bandits
• Rush: A DisneyPixar Adventure
• Ryse: Son of Rome
• Sable
• Scorn - coming TBC
• ScreamRide
• Sea of Solitude
• Sea of Thieves
• Second Extinction
• Secret Neighbour
• Shadow Warrior 2
• Shredders - coming TBC
• Signalis - coming TBC
• Signs of the Sojourner
• SkateBird
• Slay The Spire
• Slime Rancher
• Sniper Elite 4
• Space Warlord Organ
• Spelunky 2
• Spiritfarer
• Stardew Valley

• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order **
• Star Wars Battlefront **
• Star Wars Battlefront II **
• Star Wars: Squadrons **
• State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
• State of Decay: Year-One
• Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones
• Steep
• Stellaris: Console Edition
• Stranger Things 3: The Game
• Streets of Rage 4
• Subnautica
• Subnautica 2: Below Zero
• Sunset Overdrive
• Super Lucky's Tale
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete
• Superliminal
• Supraland
• Surgeon Simulator 2
• Surviving Mars
• Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master - coming 27 January 2022
• Tell Me Why: Chapters 1-3
• Terraria
• Tetris Effect: Connected
• The Anacrusis
• The Artful Escape
• The Ascent
• The Bard's Tale ARPG: Remastered and Resparkled
• The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut
• The Bard's Tale Trilogy
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• The Evil Within
• The Evil Within 2
• The Falconeer
• The Forgotten City
• The Good Life
• The Gunk
• The Little Acre
• The Long Dark
• The Medium (Xbox Series X/S only)
• The Outer Worlds
• The Pedestrian
• The Procession to Calvary
• The Riftbreaker
• The Sims 4 **
• The Surge 2
• The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season
• The Walking Dead: Season Two
• The Walking Dead: Michonne - The Complete Season
• The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - The Complete Season (Episodes 1 - 5)
• The Wild at Heart
• The Yakuza Remastered Collection
• TheHunter: Call of the Wild
• Titanfall **
• Titanfall 2 **

• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Deluxe Edition
• Torchlight III
• Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
• Totally Reliable Delivery Service
• Touhou Luna Nights
• Trailmakers
• Train Sim World 2
• Transformers: Battlegrounds
• Tropico 6
• Twelve Minutes
• Two Point Hospital
• UFC 3 **
• UFC 4 **
• Undertale
• Undungeon
• Unpacking
• Unravel **
• Unravel Two **
• Unsighted
• Visage
• Void Bastards
• Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
• Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
• Wasteland 3
• Wasteland Remastered
• We Happy Few
• What Remains of Edith Finch
• Windjammers 2
• Wolfenstein: The New Order
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood
• World War Z
• Worms Rumble
• Worms W.M.D
• Wreckfest
• Xeno Crisis - leaving 31 January 2022
• Yakuza 0
• Yakuza 3 Remastered
• Yakuza 4 Remastered
• Yakuza 5 Remastered
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Yakuza Kiwami 2
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon
• Yes, Your Grace
• Zombie Army 4: Dead War
• Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection

All the Xbox 360 backward compatibility games on Game Pass:

• Alan Wake's American Nightmare
• Alice: Madness Returns **
• Banjo-Kazooie
• Banjo Kazooie: N n B
• Banjo-Tooie
• Battlefield 1943 **
• Battlefield 3 **
• Battlefield: Bad Company **
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 **
• Bejeweled 2 **
• Bejeweled 3 **
• Brutal Legend **
• Crysis **
• Crysis 2 **
• Crysis 3 **
• Dante's Inferno **
• Dead Space **
• Dead Space 2 **
• Dead Space 3 **
• Dead Space Ignition **
• Double Dragon Neon
• Dragon Age: Origins **
• Dragon Age 2 **
• Fable Anniversary
• Fable II
• Fable III
• Fallout 3
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Feeding Frenzy **
• Feeding Frenzy 2 **
• Fight Night Champion **
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Heavy Weapon **
• Jetpac Refuelled
• Joy Ride Turbo
• Kameo
• Mass Effect **
• Mass Effect 2 **
• Mass Effect 3 **
• Medal of Honor Airborne **
• Mirror's Edge **
• Peggle **
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Plants vs Zombies **
• Rage
• Skate **
• Skate 3 **
• SSX **
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
• Zuma **
• Zuma's Revenge! **

All the original Xbox backward compatibility games on Game Pass:

• Black **
• Blinx - The Time Sweeper
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
• Fuzion Frenzy
• Psychonauts
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

** included as part of EA Play for Ultimate subscribers only.

Writing by Rik Henderson.