Xbox Game Pass – especially Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – has been a great deal for a while. There’s no other service in gaming that gives you access to great games on a huge range of devices for just $15 a month. But now, it’s getting even better.
First reported by Eurogamer (opens in a new tab) Microsoft has announced that Xbox (opens in a new tab) will now offer three-month free trials to two killer Apple services: AppleTV Plus and Apple Music. This is part of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Benefits (opens in new tab) program, which has been around for a couple of years. Typically, the perks it offers are cosmetics or game content, but now you can use your Game Pass Ultimate subscription to sign up for three free months of Apple’s premium music and streaming services. This is an important update for existing users. Act fast though – this perk is only available until March 31, 2023.
If you don’t have Game Pass Ultimate yet, don’t worry. There’s a good deal for that too. Right now Microsoft is offering new users a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $1 (opens in a new tab). It’s the best deal we see for the service right now, but let’s hope more Black Friday deals really start rolling around. So sign up now, enjoy the games, shows, movies and tunes, then keep an eye out for potential Black Friday deals for potential savings in future months.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: What’s included?
(Image credit: Microsoft)
At this point, users get a lot with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. First, you get Xbox Live Gold automatically so you can play games online and get free Games with Gold every month. Then, you get access to hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S, gaming computer, or even your smartphone through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Additionally, all first-party games from Xbox Games Studios automatically launch as playable with your Game Pass Ultimate membership.
And get access to more than just Xbox games and services. Game Pass Ultimate users get access to EA Play, which is a collection of games from Electronic Arts that you can play as part of your Ultimate membership. While EA Play often keeps you waiting to play new EA games, it can be a big win if you’re patient. Currently, you can play last year’s big sports titles like Fifa 22 and Madden 22 alongside critically acclaimed hits like Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
(Image credit: Apple)
Of course, now Xbox has partnered with Apple to offer Ultimate subscribers even more third-party content. Of course, after three months you will have to pay. So if you like Apple TV Plus and Apple Music after those three months, I recommend checking out Apple One, which gets you both services plus Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud storage. Even if you don’t use the Arcade and iCloud storage, you still save a little compared to TV Plus and Music a la carte. Given that Apple Music is our current winner in the battle between it and Spotify, and Apple TV Plus is one of our best streaming services, there’s a good chance you’ll stick around after the three months are up.
Oh, and if you need an Xbox there’s good news! Right now you can get an Xbox Series S for $50 off at Adorama (opens in new tab) for Black Friday. So don’t miss out and stay tuned for our latest Black Friday deals.
