The Best Windows 10 Video Game Subscription Services

The video game industry is changing. It is now becoming more affordable to pay a subscription to your favorite publishers and play their entire game library. In this article, we take a look at the best Windows 10 video game subscription services and compare them to each other.

We’ll start with the Xbox Games Pass, then take a look at the other options, including EA Access and Origin Access, later in the article.

Xbox Games Pass

Subscription Cost: $9.99/month
Free Trial Period: $1 for the first month
Sync with consoles?: Yes, Xbox One Only

Xbox has pushed to make Windows 10 part of their gaming ecosystem and it means great things for Xbox gamers. Each month, Xbox adds new games to their Xbox Games Pass, many of which are available on the PC.

And, if a game is an Xbox One and Windows 10 exclusive, it’s likely it’ll be put into the Games Pass on day one of release. As an example, Sea of Thieves has been available since day one, and Crackdown 3 and Halo Infinite will also be available.

The selection of games isn’t as big as some other subscription services, but you do get the added bonus of being able to play all games between both your Xbox One and your PC for the same price. And, with Xbox Play Anywhere, you can easily sync your progress in games between both platforms.

There’s no free trial, but you can get your first month for just $1. Subsequent months will cost $9.99. Right now, some of the biggest titles include ARK: Survival Evolved, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War 4, and Halo Wars 2.

Discord Nitro

Subscription Cost: $9.99/month
Free Trial Period: No free trial
Sync with consoles?: No

In an attempt to branch out and compete with game launchers like Steam and Epic Games Store, Discord now lets players purchase games from within their own chat app. Discord Nitro, a monthly subscription service, now also gives you access to a variety of games for free.

The games roster doesn’t have the big blockbuster titles, like the other options in this article, but you do get a larger selection of games from smaller indie companies and also some older titles. If rogue-lites, 8-bit games, strategy games, and older action titles like Darksiders interest you, Discord Nitro could be the best choice for you.

As Discord Nitro continues to grow, I’m sure we’ll see more support for a wider variety of game genres, too. There is no free trial with Discord Nitro, but their monthly $9.99 subscription or yearly $99.99 packages are competitive.

Discord Nitro is exclusive to PC, too, which means you can’t play any of the games offered here on the Xbox or PS4 for free.

EA Access and Origin Access

Subscription Cost: $4.99/month or $19.99/month
Free Trial Period: No
Sync with consoles?: No

EA Access is a subscription service available for Xbox One, and Origin Access is the PC version. Unlike Xbox Game Pass, you’re essentially forced to pay for both subscription services to access games on both platforms. EA Access has a single $4.99/month or $29.99/year subscription package that lets you play older games like Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 for free.

You also get to play EA Sports games, and try new games like Anthem for 10 hours. A 10% discount on EA games and add-ons is available, too.

Origin Access is for EA’s PC-only client, which means it has more features available to those on the platform. Essentially, there’s a two tier subscription system, one of which is similar to EA Access, and the other that offers full game access.

First, let’s start with the cheaper tier.  For $4.99/month, or $29.99/year, you can get the same 10 hour trials on all new games. You also get 10% off any purchases you make on games, add-ons, or microtransactions. You also get early access to upcoming games and still get full access to older vaulted titles.

If you pay for the second tier, known as Origin Access Premier, you get all of these features, as well as full limitless access on all new releases, including games like Anthem. This includes early access, too. The 10% Origin purchase discount still applies, and you can often get exclusive extra content, such as free cosmetics and small DLC packs.

Origin Access Premier costs more at $14.99 per month, but at $99.99 per year it essentially works out as cheap as Discord Nitro and the Xbox Games Pass. There are no free trials available for either of the Origin Access tiers available, or for EA Access pass on Xbox One.

Summary

Thanks for reading our guide to the best Windows 10 video game subscription services. Has this article been useful? Want to know anything else about these services? Feel free to leave your questions below and I’ll respond as soon as I can.