Let’s get the big question out of the way first. Xbox Game Pass Core, which’ll cost US$10 a month, or $US60 a year, will offer 25 games to play and access to online multiplayer. Now, the services are essentially fusing together on September 14, with the Xbox Live Gold branding being phased out, and Games with Gold ending on September 1. In 2017, however, Microsoft turned to offering another online service with Xbox Game Pass, allowing players to download countless games for around $US11 a month on consoles. The service evolved with the Xbox 360, featuring various networking capabilities such as cross-game voice chat and messaging, and starting in 2013, Xbox Live Gold also offered free games each month via Games with Gold. Searching for even more great game recommendations? WIRED's lists of the best Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S titles also include fantastic picks.Originally launched in 2002, shortly after the launch of the original Xbox, Xbox Live quickly became the standard for online play on consoles. (It’s a bit overwhelming!) From new indies to classic blockbusters, our genre-spanning picks for the best Game Pass games likely have something that’s perfect for your style of play. I sifted through the Game Pass catalog and curated a few outstanding titles to help you decide which ones to download first. (PlayStation and Switch gamers should check out our guide to the top subscription services for those platforms.) Ditched your console? There’s a PC-only plan for $10. Just on console and not interested in online multiplayers games? Microsoft offers a cheaper tier that costs $11 a month. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription comes with Xbox Live Gold, access to EA Play, and cloud gaming. For active gamers, the $17-a-month service from Microsoft is worth it, since you can download over 100 games in a regularly refreshed library.

Xbox Game Pass is one of the few subscription services I hold on to, even when I’m cutting back.

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