Xbox Game Pass for PC is getting a huge boost — but there's a catch

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Xbox Game Pass for PC is coming out of beta and getting even more games

Xbox Game Pass
(Image credit: Xbox)

Xbox Game Pass for PC is coming out of beta and going into full availability next week, but that comes with a price hike. 

The Windows 10 PC take on Xbox Game Pass, which provides a selection of first and third-party Xbox and Windows games to download and play for a monthly fee, has been in a public beta form for a while. In beta, it was available for $4.99 a month, but with the full release that’ll double to $9.99. 

Microsoft has been clear that the $4.99 monthly fee was a “limited time price” meaning the price hike shouldn’t be a surprise. But we’re hoping the general availability release means Microsoft has made some tweaks to improve Xbox Game Pass For PC and broadened the range of games available on the service.

We’ve tried Xbox Game Pass For PC, and while it provides a decent experience overall, it sometimes ran into errors or struggled to make it intuitive to play multiplayer games with friends. The range of Xbox Game Pass games is very broad, but on the PC side there aren't quite as many titles.

As such, we’re hoping that Microsoft will have ironed out some of the kinks flagged in the beta version and have fleshed out the range of games available, including adding some titles that are very PC-centric.  Doing so could make paying double the monthly fee more palatable. 

Xbox Game Pass For PC will get access to EA Play, Electronic Arts' gaming subscription service, for no additional cost. That’ll provide more than 60 additional games to the overall Xbox Game Pass For PC mix, with titles like Battlefield, Mass Effect, and The Sims. 

The general availability for Xbox Game Pass For PC will kick off on September 17. Interestingly, that comes a couple of days after the general availability of Microsoft's game streaming service xCloud, which will be bundled into the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service on September 15. 

Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming overall, offering a lot of games across several platforms for a fairly standard subscription fee. And that looks very much to be a service that will help sell the newly revealed Xbox Series S as well as the Xbox Series X.

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.