Online gaming is continuously evolving and adding new content that gamers are always eager to enjoy – but games can get pricey, and with so many out there, high price tags can be a little overwhelming.
That’s where gaming subscriptions step in to play, and for PC users, a lot of new options have recently become available.
For starters, what is a gaming subscription?
A gaming subscription is a service that users pay monthly or annually that grants them unlimited access to a catalog of games. While each service varies in pricing, accessibility, and extra features, they all provide plenty of games and exclusivities to their members.
Currently, there are three primary gaming services for PC users – Uplay+, Origin Access, and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
The services are all at different developmental stages, with Uplay+ slated to come out in September, Origin Access has been going strong since January 2016, and Xbox Game Pass for PC released with a beta version in June.
Gaming subscriptions can make accessing a wide range of titles a lot easier, but that doesn’t mean they’re for everyone. Let’s take a look at the three top PC services and see what features they include:
Uplay+
Uplay+ is Ubisoft’s gaming subscription service, which will be available for $14.99/month on September 3rd. The service provides unlimited access to upward of 100 different game titles, featuring everything from fresh content to classic franchises.
The service is pretty straightforward – pay the monthly fee, gain access to the Ubisoft catalog of games, and download and play them at leisure as long as the subscription is intact. Users can cancel at any time and continue taking out enemies on Rainbow Six Siege and destroying opponents with +4’s on Uno until the month is up.
Origin Access
Origin Access is Origin’s gaming subscription service, which is available via two different types of membership: Basic and Premier. The Basic deal gives users access to “The Vault, a library of games that just keeps growing all the time.” It also offers free early access trials on games before they’re released and 10% off on certain digital features.
The Premier deal provides the same discount and access to The Vault; however, it also offers “full access to our games days before they release” and a difference of twelve additional games.
While the Basic membership sits at $4.99/month or $29.99/year, Premier is $14.99/month or $99.99/year. This provides a lot of flexibility with making a choice that fits personal preference and financial capability.
Have you heard about Origin Access Premier yet? Find out more about the newest tier of membership: https://t.co/7p1gGktCzG pic.twitter.com/9RjvQjDuW6
— EA Help (@EAHelp) July 22, 2018
Xbox Game Pass for PC
The Xbox Game Pass for PC is Xbox’s gaming subscription service tailored for Windows 10 users using the Xbox app. The pass is in its beta stage and goes by the phrase “with games being added all the time, there’s always something to play.”
With more than 100 different games to enjoy, the Xbox Game Pass for PC was designed to be a fully functional way for PC users to get in on the action with a filterable, easy-to-use game library. At just $5 a month, the Pass requires the installation of the Xbox Beta app, which can then be used to directly access games.
Each gaming subscription has its own distinctions, and aside from picking the service tailored to which games seem most interesting, it really comes down to how much use a player will get out of purchasing one of these passes.
For players who are only interested in playing a small handful of games, paying a monthly subscription might not be preferable to merely buying the games outright. However, players who enjoy a diverse collection of games right at their fingertips will find that subscription services are an excellent way to achieve this without outright purchasing expensive game titles.
Between Uplay+, Origin Access, and the Xbox Game Pass for PC, players have plenty of different games to consider when choosing the best subscription service for them.
