Xbox Game Pass is one of the biggest subscription services, offering a large library of games, new and old, for subscribers to check out. This library is diverse and includes Xbox exclusives, third-party titles, and a whole host of day one releases to make it a desirable service for Xbox and PC gamers alike. As such, Xbox Game Pass is one of the big selling points of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles for its value for money alone.
Bethesda’s acquisition by Microsoft further added to the desirability of Game Pass, bringing classics and large upcoming titles to the service. There are plenty of reasons to subscribe to Game Pass for Xbox and PC gamers, but what tends to fly under the radar are the non-gaming perks that are available through Game Pass. These vary in nature and are constantly being updated, making them a worthwhile thing to check out for subscribers. While perks clearly aren’t the main appeal of Game Pass, they shouldn’t be missed as they contain some gems.
Past Xbox Game Pass Perks
As the name suggests, Game Pass is primarily a gaming service, but subscribers do have the option of claiming perks that appeal to their interests outside of gaming. Notably, earlier this year, subscribers could claim a free Disney Plus subscription, which gave them the chance to watch Disney Plus shows like WandaVision or both seasons of The Mandalorian. This wasn’t the first time Disney Plus had been available through Game Pass, and there’s a chance it won’t be the last. But for now, Disney Plus is no longer a free perk on Game Pass, although there are a number of alternative exciting perks that may prove useful to Game Pass subscribers.
The Best Media Subscription Perks Through Game Pass
While Disney Plus is no longer a free option through Xbox Game Pass, there are a number of other options that may be of interest. The first of which is great for fans of YouTube videos, or for people who love listening to music without interruption. Xbox Game Pass has added YouTube Premium to its free perks, and it isn’t to be sniffed at. Subscribers can get a three-month subscription to YouTube Premium for free. This will give subscribers ad-free content and the ability to background play, the ability to download videos, and access to YouTube Music Premium. In addition, YouTube Premium subscribers occasionally get extra perks, such as last year when YouTube Premium members could claim a free Stadia Premiere Edition bundle.
YouTube Premium isn’t the only free media subscription available through Game Pass, though, as subscribers can also get Crunchyroll Premium free for 75 days. This is good news for fans of anime shows such as Demon Slayer, as Crunchyroll is the world’s largest collection of anime, offering over 30,000 episodes all-in-all. There is a big overlap between gamers and fans of anime, as is shown by the success of games like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and Persona 5 Royal. As such, it’s likely that many Game Pass subscribers will take up the opportunity to get 75 days of Crunchyroll Premium for free. This makes the Game Pass perk offerings useful all around so far, and the other non-gaming perks should only improve upon this.
Other Game Pass Non-Gaming Subscription Perks
Another free subscription available through Game Pass is four months of Spotify Premium, giving Game Pass subscribers plenty of time to trial the service before buying. While largely unrelated to gaming, fans of Kingdom Hearts may be interested in this subscription given Kingdom Hearts 3’s soundtrack is available through Spotify. Additionally, music can be a great way to cut out the white noise while grinding in an MMO like Destiny 2, or exploring the world of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition. Xbox has a Spotify app that allows users to play music in the background while they game, which makes a four-month subscription to Spotify a valuable tool for gamers who like to listen to music while they game.
Keeping with the theme of services that are available through Xbox, players can get three months of Discord Nitro through Game Pass this month. This may be of particular use to Xbox gamers, as Discord can now run on Xbox consoles through Microsoft Edge. Discord is one of the most popular choices for talking with friends while gaming, or even outside of gaming, and Nitro gives users a host of great benefits. Nitro users will get two server boosts, the ability to collect and make emojis, profile badges, uploads of up to 100MB, and hi-res video, screen share, and live streaming. These benefits improve upon what is already a useful tool for gamers, enabling them to share and communicate in all-new ways.
Xbox Game Pass is one of the largest subscription services in gaming, largely known for its huge library of games. While the large collection of games is one of the big draws of the service though, Game Pass perks are regularly updated to include even more great free stuff to reward subscribers. Whether in-game loot, currency, or free subscriptions to non-gaming services, Game Pass has its subscribers covered and offers great value. For Xbox gamers, combining Xbox Live with Game Pass in Game Pass Ultimate is a no-brainer, which offers all of the perks of Game Pass along with online play and Xbox’s monthly Games with Gold.