Xbox Game Pass plans compared
Pay monthly and play from a large library of games on an Xbox console, a PC, or by streaming over the internet. Xbox Game Pass currently sells 4 plans in the US, from $9.99 a month. Here is what each one includes and who it suits.
Which Xbox Game Pass plan is right for you?
Answer a few plain-English questions and we'll check your answers against every plan. Takes about a minute. No account needed.
Current Xbox Game Pass plans and prices
Verified September 21, 2026 from Xbox Game Pass's official pages. Prices are before tax and can change.
Xbox Game Pass Essential
$9.99 a month
Best for: People who mainly buy their own games but need to play online with friends on an Xbox.
- Brand new games on the day they come outNot included
- How many games you can choose fromAbout 50 games
- Playing on an Xbox consoleIncluded
- Playing on a computerIncluded
- Playing with other people online on a consoleIncluded
- Hours of streaming games each month5
- EA Play included (EA SPORTS FC, The Sims and other EA games)Not included
- Fortnite Crew includedNot included
PC Game Pass
$13.99 a month
Best for: Someone who only plays on a Windows computer and wants new games on day one.
- Brand new games on the day they come outIncluded
- How many games you can choose from200 to 300 games
- Playing on an Xbox consoleNot included
- Playing on a computerIncluded
- Playing with other people online on a consoleNot included
- Hours of streaming games each monthNot verified
- EA Play included (EA SPORTS FC, The Sims and other EA games)Included
- Fortnite Crew includedNot included
Some details of this plan could not be verified from official pages.
Xbox Game Pass Premium
$14.99 a month
Best for: Patient players who are happy to wait about a year for the big new releases.
- Brand new games on the day they come outNot included
- How many games you can choose from200 to 300 games
- Playing on an Xbox consoleIncluded
- Playing on a computerIncluded
- Playing with other people online on a consoleIncluded
- Hours of streaming games each month10
- EA Play included (EA SPORTS FC, The Sims and other EA games)Not included
- Fortnite Crew includedNot included
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
$22.99 a month
Best for: Someone who plays a lot, on more than one device, and wants new releases straight away.
- Brand new games on the day they come outIncluded
- How many games you can choose fromMore than 500 games
- Playing on an Xbox consoleIncluded
- Playing on a computerIncluded
- Playing with other people online on a consoleIncluded
- Hours of streaming games each month15
- EA Play included (EA SPORTS FC, The Sims and other EA games)Included
- Fortnite Crew includedIncluded
What actually differs between the plans
Only 7 things change as you move up the Xbox Game Pass plans: brand new games on the day they come out, how many games you can choose from, playing on an xbox console, playing with other people online on a console, hours of streaming games each month, ea play included (ea sports fc, the sims and other ea games), fortnite crew included. Everything else is the same on every plan, so those are the only questions worth asking yourself.
| Plan | Price | Brand new games on the day they come out | How many games you can choose from | Playing on an Xbox console | Playing with other people online on a console | Hours of streaming games each month | EA Play included (EA SPORTS FC, The Sims and other EA games) | Fortnite Crew included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Game Pass Essential | $9.99/mo | Not included | About 50 games | Included | Included | 5 | Not included | Not included |
| PC Game Pass | $13.99/mo | Included | 200 to 300 games | Not included | Not included | Not verified | Included | Not included |
| Xbox Game Pass Premium | $14.99/mo | Not included | 200 to 300 games | Included | Included | 10 | Not included | Not included |
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99/mo | Included | More than 500 games | Included | Included | 15 | Included | Included |
Head-to-head comparisons
- Xbox Game Pass Xbox Game Pass Essential vs PC Game Pass
- Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass vs Xbox Game Pass Premium
- Xbox Game Pass Xbox Game Pass Premium vs Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Common questions about Xbox Game Pass plans
Microsoft changed the names — which plan replaced mine?
The old Game Pass Core is now called Essential, and the old Game Pass Standard is now called Premium. Ultimate and PC Game Pass kept their names. If you had Core or Standard you were moved across automatically.
Do I still need a membership just to play online with friends?
On an Xbox console, yes, for most games — Essential is the cheapest way to do that. On a Windows computer you do not need any membership to play online.
Do I keep the games if I stop paying?
No. The games stop working when the membership ends. Anything you bought outright is still yours, and members get a discount on buying games they want to keep.
What are the cloud hours for?
They only apply when you stream a game over the internet instead of downloading it — handy on a phone, tablet or TV. If you download and play games on your console or computer, the hours are never used up.
Where this information comes from
- Join Xbox Game Pass – Xbox ↗ – checked September 21, 2026
- Buy Xbox Game Pass Essential — 1 Month – Xbox Store ↗ – checked September 21, 2026
- Buy Xbox Game Pass Premium — 1 Month – Xbox Store ↗ – checked September 21, 2026
- Buy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — 1 Month – Xbox Store ↗ – checked September 21, 2026
- Buy PC Game Pass — 1 Month – Xbox Store ↗ – checked September 21, 2026
Checked 21 September 2026. Microsoft renamed the tiers in late 2025 (Core became Essential, Standard became Premium) and adjusted Ultimate's price again in April 2026. The prices here were read from the live Xbox store product pages on 21 September 2026: Essential $9.99, PC Game Pass $13.99, Premium $14.99, Ultimate $22.99 a month. The main Game Pass landing page and the compare page draw their prices in the browser and returned placeholders, so the store product pages were used instead. Microsoft sells 3-month and other multi-month cards for some tiers at retail; only the standard monthly price is recorded here. Trial offers of $1 for the first month or 14 days are promotional and are not treated as the price.
BetterTier is not affiliated with Xbox Game Pass. Plan names are used only to identify the plans being compared.