Beware, don’t just pay $ 10 for Xbox Game Pass – I nearly made the mistake

If you are interested in Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate) anyway, here’s a method that can save you a lot of money. Our editor Patrick Freese has now saved more than € 200.

Update from January 3, 2022: This method still works and will save you real money. Right now you can find real hits like Halo Infinite or Forza Horizon 5 in Game Pass. And even one of the best games on Steam is now in Game Pass. So the trick is still really worth it for you.

It continues with the original article from September 2020.

That happened to me: I regularly renew my Xbox Game Pass membership. Since mine will expire in a few days, a renewal at a higher price would soon be due because the Game Pass is leaving beta.

Just when I wanted to extend my membership and already had the taste of a sour € 10 apple in my mouth (even if it still seems fair for the strong offer), we in the MeinMMO editorial team came up with the topic of how to do it properly can save. I tried it out and was happy, because I saved a few three-digit euros in the process.

The essentials in brief:

• Game Pass for PC still costs € 3.99 a month in beta, but that will change in the next few days.
• Then € 9.99 per month is due – in the long term the price for the Xbox Game Pass on PC increases significantly.
• I will explain to you how, instead of 9.99 euros per month, I will pay only 4.33 euros per month for the next 27 months.
• And this is not just about the Game Pass for PC, but the Ultimate membership, which offers further advantages and can be used for Xbox and PC (normally € 12.99 per month).
• There will also be the for Ultimate members from September 15th Streaming-Dienst xCloud (via GamePro)that even works on mobile devices.
• Overall, the Game Pass will also be more attractive because EA Play will now be part of the pass and will also include major EA titles such as FIFA, Battlefield and Star Wars in the future.

What kind of offer is that? Game Pass is a kind of Netflix for gamers. You pay for a subscription and have a selection of big game hits for which you only have to pay the subscription costs. As a subscriber, you don’t have to pay extra for new games such as Flight Simulator 2020 or Crusader Kings III, you can simply download and play them.

More than a year ago, a method for securing an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cheaply was making the rounds. We told you how you can save € 300 when you get 36 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

The aim is to upgrade your existing Live Gold membership. For example, if you’ve added 3 years of Xbox Live, you can upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1: 1 for just one euro. The highlight: Xbox Live is much cheaper and costs less than half, depending on the length of the credit.

Is that still possible? Now the player and I myself were unsure whether this method would still work in September 2020. Because in June 2019 it was still considered a “loophole”.

We at MeinMMO tried this for you on September 12, 2020 and can confirm: Yes, it works. In any case still. How long this will continue to work is unclear.

We present you here a step-by-step guide with which you can make the most of the offer.

Are you thinking about getting into the Game Pass now? Here are 5 reasons why so many say Xbox Game Pass is worth it.

This is how you take advantage of the Xbox Ultimate Deal and save real money

You can get a maximum of 36 months, i.e. 3 years, out of the deal. We give you step-by-step instructions here:

• First you log into your Microsoft account and check how long your “Live Gold” or “Game Pass” membership lasts.
• In addition, you are currently not allowed to have an active membership in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
• Next, buy enough Xbox Live Gold to get as close as possible to the 36 month membership. Because you can get up to 36 months for free. I myself bought the pass twice for 12 months.
• We connect the Amazon offers for you here, where you can buy Live Gold. Remember that memberships can also be bought in local supermarkets or on Ebay, and sometimes cheaper there.

* Affiliate links. We receive a small commission from Amazon with a purchase. Thanks for your support!

• Now visit the Microsoft website redeem.microsoft.com.
• There you should type in your 25-digit code – you received it when you bought the Xbox Live Gold.
• You will now receive a confirmation. Leave the checkmark next to “Regular payment” and you will receive an additional month free of charge (although you have to specify a payment method directly). But do not do this with 3 annual tickets, because you then exceed the 36 months (via GameStar.de).

• Repeat the process until all of your codes have reached a maximum of 3 years.
• After the confirmation you go back to your Microsoft account page (account.microsoft.com/services).
• With your subscriptions you can now see the following picture:

• Select “Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate”
• A message will appear explaining what the upgrade means for you. Confirm this by clicking on “Next”.

• This will take you to the shop page where you can join the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That costs you only 1 €, which is to be got over, especially since there is again a “free month”.
• Then select “Join”.

• You will then see on your account page. (account.microsoft.com/services) Confirmation that your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will last as long as you have topped up Xbox Live Gold – and only for the cost of Xbox Live Gold and the one-time payment for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

tip: If there is a later date than September, it is because you will receive free months if you leave the “Recurring payment” active when you top up. Theoretically, you should then get 3 months added to a top-up of 36 months. However, we cannot guarantee that, because Microsoft says that Xbox Live will be converted for a maximum of 36 months. In our example, we received the 3 additional months with 2 years of Xbox Live Gold booked.

The calculation of our example in detail:

• 2 × 12 months Live Gold – each 58 € (depending on the offer on Amazon) = 116 € (+ 2 months extra through recurring payment).
• 1x upgrade for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate € 1 (+1 month free)
• A total of 27 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for € 117 – that results in a monthly price of around € 4.33.
• Typically, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs € 12.99 per month
• Calculated over 27 months, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate would normally cost € 350.73.
• For the “normal” Xbox Game Pass on PC you would pay € 9.99 per month. Calculated over 27 months, that would be € 269.73.
• You no longer need the Game Pass for PC.

Should I take advantage of the offer?

For whom is the offer worthwhile? First of all, you should make sure that you do not currently have an Ultimate membership. Alternatively, you will become a new member. If you also have the Game Pass for PC and it is about to expire, the change is worthwhile. If your Game Pass for PC is still active for a few months, it is currently not worth it, because otherwise you would pay for two memberships.

If you plan to use the Xbox Game Pass for PC anyway and also have an Xbox at the same time, then you are in good hands with this method for the Game Pass Ultimate. But even without a console, the purchase is worthwhile if you only play on PC and possibly mobile as well.

Because here you save a lot of money and still have the gold membership with you on the console. You need them for most multiplayer games if you want to play them online against others.

In addition, the Game Pass Ultimate will also include cloud gaming from September 15. For you this means that you can play more than 100 games from the cloud on your Android smartphone, Windows 10 PC, Xbox console or Android tablet. All you need is an internet connection and a compatible controller.

To play Xbox games from the cloud, the following requirements must be met:

• Active membership in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• A Bluetooth-enabled Xbox controller or other supported controller
• An Android smartphone or tablet with version Android 6.0 or higher
• A WLAN / LTE data connection with a speed of at least 10 Mbit / s
• The Xbox Game Pass Android app, available from the Samsung Galaxy Store and the Google Play App Store

A strong offer that is probably also exciting for our author Leya Jankowski. Because she was a PlayStation disciple for years, but will now switch to Xbox. And the Game Pass plays an important role in this.