In this article, I’ll show you how to get Xbox Game Pass on PC. If you thought that Xbox Game Pass was a console-only service, it’s actually available on Windows PCs too! I’ve been using Xbox Game Pass on PC for about a year now. Although I’ve paused my account a few times, it has been one of my top resources. Xbox Game Pass is a service from Microsoft’s Xbox that makes available 100+ video games for digital download on a subscription basis.
I’m not attempting to upsell you the service, but it’s truly one of the best gaming services out there. You can play day-one releases as well as past releases from Bethesda, EA, as well as tons of mid-tier indies like Hades and Stardew Valley. The setup is easy so I’ll get started.
What You Need to Get Started – How to Get Xbox Game Pass on PC
The Game Pass service is originally something available on Xbox consoles. Within the past few years, it has been ported over to Windows PCs that have gaming capability. It is not a streaming service like GeForce Now. You can download the games and play them locally. When your subscription runs out your game data is backed up to the cloud until you want to renew your subscription.
You’ll need at least Windows 10 installed on a PC, with moderate system specifications for many of the games but not all of them. Xbox allows you to browse the current games on its service before you even sign up, so you can see what the requirements are if you have your eyes on a particular game or two.
You’ll also need an internet connection, which seems like it might be obvious but maybe not. In all honesty, though, you’ll only need it to sign up and download the games. Your computer can be offline for up to 30 days before it will need to be re-authorized. For the best experience though I recommend a stable internet connection. Most likely you’ll want to check the app regularly though to see what games are new too. They are updated frequently and often highly anticipated games get released under the cover of night as a big surprise. You can also see some of the games which are coming soon, but some just show up.
Next, Download the App on Windows – How to Get Xbox Game Pass on PC
This part is pretty simple. Just for the record, you can set up your account in either the Game Pass app or the Xbox website. Your first month is only $1, so you’d be crazy not to go for that deal honestly, and after you do signup you can cancel at any time immediately, pro-rated. Xbox is literally raining money.
The Xbox PC Game Pass website is here: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/pc-game-pass
Either join on the website with whatever account information you need to add (Note: you may need to set up a Microsoft account if you don’t already have one, but you can use the same one as your Windows login or a new one quick and free.) Afterward, click the download button in the upper right that says “Download the App.”
Run the Install, and You’re All Set
And that’s it. Prepare to play tons of awesome games that you can download at any time. Even if you do find yourself unable to afford it for a period of time, you can always see what games are new in the app. If you are a gamer though, you’ll most likely always want to have it, because you will save tons of money on games with it. Heck, even as I just was writing this, a popular new game just dropped in the new games.
Oh, and just one other thing to mention, I have found a very helpful resource for ranking games on Game Pass and getting a comprehensive view of what’s available through a third-party website called Gamepassta. You can check that out at https://www.gamepassta.com/
Anyway, I hope this article helped you figure out what to do. Thank you for reading this article, I’m Mr. Dave Pizza, enjoy your games!