Xbox Game Pass is a bit of a secret weapon for PC gamers. With so many benefits included as part of your monthly subscription, Xbox Game Pass can add so much to your PC gaming experience, including day-one access to shiny new releases, in-game benefits, and more. There's so much value in a membership for PC players, regardless of the tier you choose, and we're going to break it down for you right now.
Access to Day-One Releases
If we just look at 2025, it's been an absolutely stellar year for game releases, and so many of those have launched as day-one access via Xbox Game Pass.
Trying to keep up with all those releases can be a real drain on your wallet, but with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you're going to get access to so many titles that it's almost going to be difficult to actually play them all.
This is just a selection of the amazing games that launched on Xbox Game Pass this year the very same day they launched:
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Doom : The Dark Ages
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion
- Keeper
- Grounded 2
- Gears of War: Reloaded
- Rematch
- The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
In-game benefits
But it's not just about getting access to new releases, there are some excellent in-game benefits too, from Call of Duty to League of Legends.
If you're a Warzone player, you can nab two operator skins, two weapon blueprints, two emotes, a weapon charm, finishing move, loading screen, spray, and sticker, just for subscribing to Xbox Game Pass. Plus, you also get a 2XP token and 2WXP token, both lasting an hour each.
For League of Legends fans, you get access to all 160+ champions, day-one access to every new champion as they're released, and a 20% XP boost. As if we needed any more reason to play Riot Games' multiplayer masterpiece! Which just so happens to be exclusive to PC players.
And it doesn't stop there: Game Pass subscribers also get in-game benefits for games like Valorant, Overwatch 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X, and more.
Access on any device
Another great thing about Xbox Game Pass is that you're not actually tethered to your PC to enjoy the benefits. Sometimes we've all got to step away from our desks, so take your Xbox Game Pass with you. You can play all the games, get all the benefits, and more across PC, Xbox Series X, and handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. But you can also play or stream Xbox Game Pass games on your phone (both Android and iPhone), tablet, TV, and VR headsets too.
You can also stream games you own, even if they aren't on Game Pass. Handy!
And thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can play using an Xbox Wireless Controller as well as a Sony DualShock 4 or any of a range of third-party gamepads. You can also enjoy supported games with touch controls on your phone or tablet too, for a seriously on-the-go experience.
Get Rewards
Regardless of what tier you subscribe to with Xbox Game Pass (more on that in a minute), you'll earn rewards as you play. There is a wide range of daily, weekly, and monthly quests that'll earn you points as you tick them off. You can then exchange those points for Xbox gift cards or a variety of in-game currencies.
You can even choose to donate your earnings to charity, literally helping those less fortunate just by playing your favorite games. What's not to love about that?
You'll also earn rewards points from any purchases you make on the Xbox store as an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, whether you're buying a full game or some DLC. And if you subscribe to Game Pass Premium, you'll get double the points, while Ultimate subscribers get four time more!
Choose the tier that works for you
But which Game Pass tier is right for you? Essential, Premium or UItimate?
Xbox Game Pass Essential gets you access to over 50 games on console, PC, and all those other supported devices, as well as the option to stream other games from your library. You get those in-game benefits, and the option to earn up to 25,000 Rewards points each year.
Premium gives you all of that but bumps your access to over 200 games, including new Xbox-published games within 12 months of launch. You'll also be able to earn up to 50,000 Rewards points each year.
The top tier is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you everything Premium does but takes the game library up to over 400 games. That includes day-one access to Xbox and third-party games. And, you can earn up to an enormous 100,000 Rewards points each year.
Ultimate also gets you access to EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics, letting you play even more games. Oh and did we mention that Fortnite Crew is also included? Oh yes, Ultimate really does give you an absolute wealth of gaming goodness each and every year.
