Times are hard right now, and a lot of people are struggling financially. Video games have never been the cheapest hobby, and while subscription services are becoming the norm for most media content, most people can't afford to subscribe to all of them. Thus, gaming subscription services have to be competitive and appealing, and many do this by offering free games to sweeten the deal.
In general, different gaming subscriptions like PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold will attract different audiences, and the best service very much depends on the needs of the individual. Brand loyalty, game options and preferred method of play will all factor into choosing the right subscription service, but here is an overview of all the subscription services that offer free games, and how much they cost.
PlayStation Plus
Subscribing to PlayStation Plus includes access to 2 to 3 free monthly games, which can be redeemed anytime during that month and are playable as long as the subscription is active. PlayStation Plus is accessible via PS3, PS4, PS5, and PS Vita. In addition to this, PlayStation Plus subscribers with a PlayStation 5 will get access to the PS Plus Collection, a free-to-play collection of some of the most defining games of the PS4 era. Numerous discounts are also included, but importantly this service is needed to play online through the PlayStation Network. The subscription costs $59.99 USD per year, or $9.99 USD per month.
PlayStation Now is a streaming service that offers access to older PlayStation games and notably gives players the ability to play these games on PC. The pricing for PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now is the same, but the services do not overlap.
Xbox Game Pass
Similar to PlayStation, Xbox offers two subscription services but offers both at a bundle price. Xbox Live Gold includes 3 to 4 rotating free games each month, but Xbox Game Pass includes a catalog of hundreds of games that updates regularly. While these services can be paid for separately, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes both, and Xbox Live is needed for online multiplayer. The Xbox Game Pass offers different tiers and pricing and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate currently costs $14.99 USD per month.
Nintendo Switch Online
With the Switch continues to set new records for sales, Nintendo Switch Online gives Switch players access to a service similar to PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold, allowing for online play. The service also includes a catalog of free-to-play games, usually retro titles with some new properties added occasionally. The Nintendo Online catalog updates available games in bundles at a time, and costs $19.99USD per year, $3.99 USD per month, or a family membership for up to 8 Nintendo account holders at $34.99 USD per year.
Amazon Prime Gaming
Formerly known as Twitch Prime, Amazon Prime Gaming proves that Amazon is more and more interested in cornering the gaming market. A huge benefit of this service is that it is included at no additional cost for any Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. The service offers monthly free games that are available for a limited time, as well as some in-game items and a free Twitch subscription each month; the Amazon Prime subscription that includes this service costs $12.99 USD per month or $119 USD per year.
EA Play
EA Play is available on a variety of platforms, but you have to choose one when you are signing up for membership (there is currently no cross-platform subscription). Formerly known as Origin Access, this service gives access to over 90 free games and also has a Pro tier with additional benefits, such as discounts and early access. The service costs $4.99 USD per month or $29.99 per year for standard membership.
Ubisoft+
Ubisoft's subscription service, Ubisoft+, is only available on the PC but gives Ubisoft fans access to over 100 titles from the company. Additional benefits of Ubisoft+ include monthly rewards, which increase in quantity the longer someone is subscribed. These rewards are in-game items for a variety of Ubisoft games and the service costs $14.99 USD per month.
Humble Choice
Humble Choice is a subscription service offered by Humble Bundle, which any fan of free games will want to know about. The subscription service has different membership tiers, with the lowest tier package giving access to the Humble Trove, a library of roughly 100 games. The higher tiers offer storewide discounts and monthly free games, with the premium level including 9 monthly free games and the basic offering 3. The premium tier is $20 USD per month, basic is $15 per month and lite is $5 per month, and there are often sign-up discounts. Unlike other services, Humble Choice lets users actually own the free games they get each month.
Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass
For gamers interested in apps and mobile games, Apple Arcade has a catalog of about 180 games. What's more is that this subscription removes in-game ads and purchases, one of the biggest drawbacks to app gaming. It costs $4.99 USD per month.
Google Play Pass also removes in-game ads and purchases, which is really the biggest selling point of these two services since many app games are already free. The Google Play Pass also gives access to hundreds of titles and claims to update their selection monthly. At a similar price of $4.99 USD per month or $29.99 USD per year, these two services are extremely similar and the decision really comes down to game selection and preferred device.
Free Games Without a Subscription
If the monthly or yearly prices of the above services still sound too steep, there are many other online gaming services that offer free games without requiring a subscription. Humble Bundle, mentioned above, also offers some of the best bundle packages that gamers can pay what they want to own without a subscription. While this still costs money, it's hard to complain about getting hundreds of dollars worth of games for as little as $1. Usually, Humble Bundles are in support of a particular charity, and game developers agree to include their titles; as such, it is usually indie games that are included.
Other services like Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, itch.io, etc. regularly have giveaways of free games or reasonably priced game bundles that require no subscription to play. Again, these are very often indie games rather than AAA titles. At present, subscription services seem to be the way forward for most content producers, but there are many who are not fans of digital content.