There’s no question that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the best deal in gaming right now. Not only does it get you a vast library of Xbox and PC games (including Day One releases) to play on your console and computer, but you can also play many of them via the Xbox Cloud Gaming service on your smartphone or (select) TV. The current problem is that there is no easy way to share your subscription with another family member, unless you’re using the same Xbox console.
Currently testing in Ireland and Colombia, Xbox has unveiled a Game Pass Friends & Family tier which allows you up to 5 accounts to share Game Pas Ultimate. The new subscription now has a landing page with plenty of details. The key features include:
- 5 accounts to share with all the benefits of Ultimate
- Play hundreds of high-quality games on console, PC and cloud
- Greatest community of gamers on the most advanced multiplayer network
- New games added all the time
- Xbox Game Studios titles the same day as release
- EA Play membership included
- Exclusive member discounts and deals
- Free Perks including in-game content and partner offers
While it can be shared by five people, the caveat is that they all must reside in the same country. The primary account holder invites other users to the group membership, and is responsible for payments so you’ll have to collect from your friends if you plan on sharing it with them. While all group members will have access to Game Pass Ultimate features, only the primary account holder can access the home sharing feature. In other words, secondary members will not be able to share Game Pass games with other members in their households.
The best part? This new subscription is currently priced at €21.99/month (roughly US$22/month). When split between five people, that’s less than €5/month per person for full Game Pass Ultimate access. This is going to be a hard one to pass up, that’s for sure! As mentioned, it is currently only testing in Ireland and Colombia, but it seems unlikely that it won’t make its way to other markets eventually as well.
For those with existing Game Pass memberships, they will be converted as follows if you upgrade to the Friends & Family version:
- 30 days Xbox Game Pass Ultimate becomes 18 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
- 30 days Xbox Game Pass (Console) becomes 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
- 30 days PC Game Pass becomes 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
- 30 days Xbox Live Gold becomes 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
- 30 days EA Play becomes 6 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
What do you think about the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family subscription? Is it something you’ll jump on once/if it hits other markets? Let us know on social media by using the buttons below.
