Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s “Netflix, but for games” subscription service, is already one of the best deals in gaming right now if you have a Windows PC or an Xbox. The service’s top tier, Game Pass Ultimate, has historically offered access to hundreds of games for $15 per month, with many next-gen titles being tapped for Game Pass inclusion the day they launch. But next month it gets even better because games are coming to Android phones as well. iOS users are, for now, unfortunately out of luck.
The new feature is the culmination of Microsoft’s long in-development xCloud game streaming project, which plays games on remote hardware and then beams them to your device over high-speed internet. It’s been in development for years, and on September 15th, it will become part of Game Pass Ultimate, bringing 100 compatible games to Android devices, including:
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Destiny 2
- The Outer Worlds
- Gears 5 Ultimate Edition
The games will be playable with touch controls, though you’ll have a better experience with compatible mobile controllers, like the Razer Kishi or a phone mount for a Bluetooth Xbox Controller.
If you only have an iPhone, you’ll be left in the lurch for the time being. And if you only have an Android phone, $15 might be a steep price to pay for access to these games alone. The real value of Game Pass continues to be when paired with an Xbox, where the rest of the service’s library lives.
And that, of course, is the point. But it doesn’t make the total deal any less terrific.
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