Xbox Game Pass is the gift that keeps on giving, and subscribers are in for an embarrassment of riches in the next few weeks.
After a stellar November that saw Minecraft, It Takes Two, Football Manager 2022, Forza Horizon 5, and GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition hit the service, an eagle-eyed user on Reddit has found the next wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass, which has now been confirmed by Microsoft. And yeah, I’m probably going to play every single one of these.
We already knew that Hitman: Trilogy and Rainbow Six Extraction would be coming to Xbox Game Pass in January, along with Daganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition, which was officially announced today, January 18.
But now we know that we’re also getting the fabulous Death’s Door, the exceptional Windjammers 2, Guacamelee developer Drinkbox Studios’ Nobody Saves the World, the doggo-centric Pupperazzi, and – probably the best addition – Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! PC Game Pass subscribers can also look forward to Rainbow Six Siege: Deluxe Edition if the PvE spin-off Extraction doesn’t take your fancy.
Here are the dates you'll want to mark in your calendar:
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) - available now
- Nobody Saves the World (Cloud, Console, and PC) - available now
- Death's Door (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 20
- Hitman Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 20
- Pupperazzi (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 20
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 20
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege: Deluxe Edition (PC) - January 20
- Windjammers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 20
- Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC) - January 27
With such an eclectic mix of genres and titles included in this Xbox Game Pass lineup there’s bound to be something for everyone – or, if you’re like me, you’ll probably give every game a go the next time you’re at a loss for what to play. I just hope my drums from the Switch version of Taiko no Tatsujin work on Xbox.
Opinion: Game Pass is great, but competition could make it even better
With rumors that Sony is working on an Xbox Game Pass competitor continuing to circulate, Microsoft’s service will suddenly have a more like-for-like rival in the gaming subscription space. Sony has always had its PlayStation Now service, which lets you download PS4 and PS2 games and stream PS3 games, but its offering has always paled in comparison to Xbox Game Pass.
That’s primarily because Microsoft releases its first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on day one, and has also managed to snag a number of high-profile third-party releases, like Outriders, Back 4 Blood, and now Rainbow Six Extraction.
Xbox Game Pass also includes Xbox Series X/S-optimized titles, while PS Now only includes PS4 games for users to play. It means that PlayStation owners have had to make do with last-gen versions of titles that have been upgraded for the new consoles, like Marvel’s Avengers. The PS4 version of Crystal Dynamics superhero brawler came to PS Now, while Xbox Game Pass received the next-gen version.
There’s no doubt that competition will make Xbox Game Pass stronger, however. If Sony can offer a similar service, there will be more onus on Microsoft to improve its offering, and include more perks and benefits over its rival. Microsoft will also want to hold onto the 18 million-plus subscribers it’s attracted over the years, a number that completely eclipses the three million or so PS Now subscribers.
Of course, the big question on everyone’s lips is whether Sony will put its prized possessions on its upcoming Game Pass rival – its first-party titles. With PS5 games now priced at $70 / £70 / $AU109, a monthly subscription that guaranteed access to the best of Sony’s worldwide studios would certainly be appealing to the masses, but we’d expect to see a significant price hike if Sony did decide to drop the likes of God of War: Ragnarok on its new service.
Nevertheless, if Microsoft maintains this impressive cadence of dropping desirable titles each and every month, Xbox Game Pass subscribers won’t be too envious of whatever Sony might offer in the near future.
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