Xbox Game Pass plans compared: which one should you choose?

Xbox Game Pass currently has four main options in Belgium: Essential, Premium, PC Game Pass and Ultimate. They cost between €8.99 and €20.99 per month, but the most expensive plan is not automatically the best choice.

The quick answer is straightforward:

• Choose Essential for online console multiplayer and a smaller game library.
• Choose Premium for a larger library across console and PC without paying for every premium extra.
• Choose PC Game Pass if you only play on a Windows PC.
• Choose Ultimate for day-one releases, multiple devices and bundled services such as EA Play, Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics.

Xbox Game Pass plans at a glance

The exact number of available games changes over time. Games, features and availability can also differ by platform and region.

Choose Essential for basic console access

Game Pass Essential costs €8.99 per month in Belgium, or €107.88 over twelve months at the current recurring price.

It includes:

• More than 50 games across supported devices
• Online console multiplayer
• In-game benefits for selected games
• Microsoft Rewards opportunities
• Five hours of cloud gaming per month from November 2026

Essential makes the most sense if you mainly own your games but need online multiplayer. The included library provides some variety without pushing the subscription into premium pricing.

It is less suitable if you regularly switch between games or want new releases as soon as they launch. Five cloud hours per month also makes streaming an occasional extra rather than a primary way to play.

Choose Premium for the strongest middle ground

Premium costs €12.99 per month, which is €155.88 over twelve months. That is €48 more per year than Essential.

For that difference, Premium expands the library to more than 200 games and increases the monthly cloud allowance to ten hours. New Xbox-published games can enter the library within one year of release, although availability differs by title.

Premium is a practical choice for players who:

• Use both Xbox and PC
• Want a larger rotating library
• Do not need every game on release day
• Stream games occasionally
• Still need online console multiplayer

The main question is whether the larger library is worth another €4 each month. If you regularly find games you would otherwise have bought, that difference is relatively easy to justify.

If you mostly replay the same two or three games, Essential may still provide better value.

Choose PC Game Pass if you only play on Windows

PC Game Pass also costs €12.99 per month in Belgium, but it serves a different audience from Premium.

It includes more than 300 PC games, selected day-one releases, EA Play and in-game benefits. It does not include the monthly Xbox cloud gaming allowance.

For someone who only plays on a Windows PC, PC Game Pass is generally the clearest choice. Paying for Ultimate only becomes interesting when you also use an Xbox console, depend on cloud streaming or value its additional partner subscriptions.

Before subscribing, check the individual games you want to play. A game can be available on console without appearing in the PC library, and the reverse can also happen.

Choose Ultimate for day-one games and bundled services

Ultimate is the most complete plan at €20.99 per month, or €251.88 over twelve months.

It includes:

• More than 400 games across console, PC and supported devices
• Selected new games on day one
• Online console multiplayer
• EA Play
• Fortnite Crew
• Ubisoft+ Classics
• In-game benefits
• Increased Microsoft Rewards earning
• Fifteen hours of cloud gaming per month from November 2026

Ultimate costs €8 more per month than Premium. Over a full year, that difference is €96.

The plan offers the most value when you genuinely use several of its benefits. Someone who plays on Xbox and PC, uses Fortnite Crew and regularly tries new releases can recover that price difference more easily than a player who only wants online multiplayer.

Be careful with the phrase “day one.” Xbox states that selected games are included, and current conditions exclude new Call of Duty titles from the general day-one promise. Always check the game’s individual store page before subscribing for one release.

Which plan is best for multiplayer?

Essential, Premium and Ultimate all include online console multiplayer. You do not need Ultimate simply to play paid Xbox games online with friends.

Free-to-play games generally do not require a paid multiplayer subscription, so players who mainly use titles such as Fortnite should compare the other benefits before subscribing.

For a household that regularly tries different multiplayer games, Premium may offer a better balance between library size and monthly cost. Ultimate becomes more attractive when the household also uses its additional services.

Which plan is best for cloud gaming?

From November 2026, the included monthly allowances are:

• Essential: 5 hours
• Premium: 10 hours
• Ultimate: 15 hours
• PC Game Pass: no included cloud allowance

Even Ultimate averages less than four cloud hours per week. Anyone planning to use cloud gaming as a primary platform should include the cost of additional playtime in the comparison.

Xbox is also introducing separately purchased cloud hours and cloud access without a recurring Game Pass subscription. That option may ultimately be cheaper for players who only stream occasionally.

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Is Xbox Game Pass worth paying for every month?

Game Pass is worth considering when the games you actually complete would cost more than the subscription.

Use this simple check:

1. List the Game Pass titles you realistically expect to play during the next three months.
2. Check whether each title is included with your intended plan and platform.
3. Compare the subscription cost with buying those games.
4. Add value only for benefits you will genuinely use.
5. Recheck the library before renewing for another long period.

Do not count hundreds of games you will never launch as personal value. A smaller plan containing the right games is more useful than a large library that does not match how you play.

Remember that Game Pass provides access rather than permanent ownership. When your subscription ends or a game leaves the relevant library, continued access may require purchasing that game.

Final recommendation

For most console players who want more than online multiplayer, Premium offers the strongest balance between price and library size.

Essential is the sensible budget option. PC Game Pass is the obvious starting point for Windows-only players. Ultimate is best reserved for people who use multiple devices, play selected releases at launch and can benefit from its bundled subscriptions.

Check the live library and local price immediately before subscribing. Xbox regularly changes available games, promotional offers and plan features.