These days, Microsoft offers gaming fans an arsenal of options for playing games. It’s never been easier to gain an instant library of diverse titles on Xbox (and PC as well) via Xbox Game Pass, whose library now exceeds over 400 games. Anything from indie delights to triple-A blockbusters, Xbox Game Pass hosts plenty of names both big and small. Even though these days Xbox Game Pass takes the spotlight as the premier offering of games, Microsoft still offers its long-running free games service for Xbox Live Gold members. Even if it’s been a bit of a mixed bag in some examples, Xbox Live Gold continues to offer players two-to-four games to its subscribers.
However, many have wondered what the value of Games with Gold is in the wake of Xbox Game Pass. Considering Microsoft is continuing to push for more subscribers to its premium games library, some feel its made Games with Gold comparatively lacking. To some extent that’s true, as often times the month’s announcement of games is met with backlash and disappointment from fans. Nearly every comment section on the Games with Gold videos uploaded to YouTube are plagued with that same sentiment. Looking back at 2020’s offering for Games with Gold, it may be true that Xbox Live‘s free games program may have a redundancy problem.
First, compiling the list of all games (Original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One titles) together makes 48 total games offered from the Games with Gold service. That’s four a month, with the selection flip-floppping between two Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, or two Xbox One games, an Xbox 360 game, and an Original Xbox game. Excluding any deals that have occurred involving the games on this list, that’s a total Games with Gold value of $1,075.52, based on each game’s MSRP value. Now compare that to Xbox Live Gold which can be as high as $119.88/year when paying $9.99/month, or as low as $60/year by paying annually.
Just a couple things to note: The annual subscription for Xbox Live Gold is no longer available, but since that option was taken down later in 2020, it’s still a valid comparison for the yearly cost. That comparison is also without even mentioning if at any point Xbox Live Gold memberships were on sale from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon. It’s also worth noting that Xbox Live Gold is also bundled into the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription as well, which is currently $14.99/month.
Even at the highest cost of Xbox Live Gold, that’s still $955.64 of savings if players added every Games with Gold option to their respective libraries. However, it’s important to consider the games themselves that were offered on the service:
- Styx: Shards of Darkness – $19.99
- Batman: The Telltalle Series Complete Season – $14.99
- Tekken 6 – $14.99
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – $14.99
- TT Isle of Man – $59.99
- Call of Cthulhu – 39.99
- Fable Heroes – $9.99
- Star Wars: Battlefront (2004) – $9.99
- Batman: The Enemy Within Complete Season – $14.99
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – $19.99
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 – $39.99
- Sonic Generations – $19.99
- Project Cars 2 – $59.99
- Knights of Pen and Paper – $14.99
- Fable Anniversary – $39.99
- Toybox Turbos – $9.99
- V-Rally 4 – $59.99
- Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr – $39.99
- Sensible World of Soccer – $9.99
- Overlord 2 – $9.99
- Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse – $19.99
- Coffee Talk – $13.99
- Destroy All Humans! – $19.99
- Sine Mora – $9.99
- WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship – $49.99
- Dunk Lords – $19.99
- Saints Row 2 – $9.99
- Juju – $14.99
- Portal Knights – $19.99
- Override: Mech City Brawl – $29.99
- MX Unleashed – $14.99
- Red Faction 2 – $14.99
- Tom Clancy’s The Division – $29.99
- The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 – $19.99
- de Blob 2 – $19.99
- Armed and Dangerous – $9.99
- Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut – $16.99
- Maid of Sker – $24.99
- Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy – $14.99
- Costume Quest – $14.99
- Aragami: Shadow Edition – $24.99
- Swimsanity! – $24.99
- Full Spectrum Warrior – $14.99
- LEGO Indiana Jones – $19.99
- The Raven Remastered – $29.99
- Bleed 2 – $14.99
- Saints Row: Gat out of Hell – $14.99
- Stacking – $14.99
Obviously in direct comparison to Xbox Game Pass, this list pales in comparison to what’s offered on Xbox’s premium games library. The overall value of Xbox Game Pass, even after the lowest possible subscription rate ($9.99/month), outpaces Games with Gold’s value by at least three times over. That’s even generously assuming players were interested in, added to their library, and played all 48 different games offered this year. This goes back to the issue with Games with Gold in its current iteration, a redundancy problem. There’s a reason why so many continuously express disappointment in the YouTube comments of every recent Games with Gold unveiling.
As for what the future looks like for the service, it’s hard to say. During a time where many would’ve expected Xbox Game Pass to supplant Games with Gold, December’s offering still rolled along like a new Xbox hadn’t launched less than a month prior. Compared to PS Plus, which consistently offers up well known and surprisingly popular games on its monthly offering, Games with Gold just doesn’t match up.
Pair that with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which bundles in Xbox Live Gold anyway, and there’s even less reason to pay attention to Games with Gold. 2021 could potentially bring changes to the service, but for right now, Games with Gold is quickly becoming irrelevant.
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