Xbox Game Pass for PC adds EA Play, continues to ruin your backlog

[David Matthews]

In a nutshell: The hits just keep coming for Xbox Game Pass. After announcing Outriders would launch on the platform, Microsoft is bringing EA Play to Game Pass for PC after previously limiting it to console players. This adds over 60 games that will be included at no extra cost starting March 18th.

Microsoft has announced that EA Play is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC. The service is already available for console subscribers, but it's good to see PC gamers get in on the fun. EA Play is a subscription service that gives players access to over 60 EA published games.

The process for downloading and playing EA Play games is somewhat confusing though. The games show up on the Xbox app, however, you must also install the new EA Desktop app (currently in beta) to actually run the game. Then you go back to the Xbox app to link your Xbox and EA accounts together.

Despite reservations that many gamers (understandably) have towards EA, the service does have legitimately great games such as Star Wars: Squadrons, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Titanfall 2, Dead Cells, and the entire Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Dead Space series.

EA Play also includes discounts on EA digital purchases and 10-hour trial access of many other games.

This comes after Microsoft announced that Square Enix's Outriders would launch on Game Pass for console. It also begs the question if Ubisoft will also add its Ubisoft+ subscription service to Xbox Game Pass. The publisher already added it to Stadia (although it's not included in Stadia Pro).

That said, the addition of Bethesda's lineup and EA Play continue to make Xbox Game Pass a no-brainer for people who play on Microsoft's ecosystem.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88965-xbox-game-pass-pc-adds-ea-play-continues.html

 

[SirDigby]

Microsoft is smashing it with Game Pass, I think I'll always prefer to 'own' my games, but to be fair even on Steam you're just paying a single fee for semi-permanent access (until the servers eventually get switched off)

 

[Shadowboxer]

Wait, how does it ruin your backlog? Not in any ownership of licence kind of way I hope?

 

[Dimitriid]

Not the most current or exiting of titles on that list. It's good that they're testing the waters and want to give Microsoft a chance but well, I have most of those titles on steam already and didn't exactly pay premium for them: most of them were on either humble bundle deals or dirty cheap sales.

 

[Thretosix]

Microsoft is smashing it with Game Pass, I think I'll always prefer to 'own' my games, but to be fair even on Steam you're just paying a single fee for semi-permanent access (until the servers eventually get switched off)

I prefer to own my games as well. I also feel like Game Pass is a nice way to get to play games you might not have purchased and find out you actually enjoy. Most games on Game Pass can also be purchased at a discount as well.

 

[envirovore]

Wait, how does it ruin your backlog? Not in any ownership of licence kind of way I hope?

X amount of days to play through games, meaning you'll ignore your backlog even further.

I would have loved a service like this about 15 years ago. Don't have the spare time to try to burn through games that fast anymore, nor do I like feeling pressured to complete a game in a specific time frame.

 

[Thretosix]

Wait, how does it ruin your backlog? Not in any ownership of licence kind of way I hope?

It's referencing the fact that a game that was already on the backlog may remain on the backlog a bit longer. I'm not sure how else you would take it to be honest. Your suggestion is a bit out there and has very little logic.

 

[Shadowboxer]

It's referencing the fact that a game that was already on the backlog may remain on the backlog a bit longer. I'm not sure how else you would take it to be honest. Your suggestion is a bit out there and has very little logic.

Nope it’s not out there, just a question about the title. I was just wondering if it messed with your EA Play account. However don’t be ashamed if that was too complicated for you to understand...

X amount of days to play through games, meaning you'll ignore your backlog even further.

I would have loved a service like this about 15 years ago. Don't have the spare time to try to burn through games that fast anymore, nor do I like feeling pressured to complete a game in a specific time frame.

Yeah I’ve got hundreds of games in my accounts. The way I see it is Xbox game pass may help prevent me buying new ones!

 

[Phyrino]

60 games?
I got 132 games with EA play on pc today...

 

[Nobina]

Wait, how does it ruin your backlog? Not in any ownership of licence kind of way I hope?

It will actually delete all your games if you subscribe. Beware.

 

[Shadowboxer]

It will actually delete all your games if you subscribe. Beware.

Lol. I mean I could believe a Microsoft solution has such a bug..

 

[amoeba00]

I do like the idea with trying new games that normally I'd just wait until they were less than $10 (and usually years and years after initial release - and even then - just winds up collecting electronic dust). Adding the EA Play library is a welcome bonus (along with some Bethesda titles).

Found the deal a while back that wound up getting GamePass Ultimate for about $4 a month for 3 years. Worth it to play some new releases to see if they would be worth buying and playing others that I'd never consider purchasing at all. Nice to play some games through once, and then not worry about having to buy (or play them again) after completing.

However, I don't know that I would actually buy any of these games from the Microsoft store - because of how the games are installed. They get stuck in a locked down folder on the drive where the app is installed so consider moving the app to its own drive. Also, you can't really use mods - which is fine if you think of them as Xbox console games.

Of course, as I type I'm watching the clock for that 2pm pst to roll around to see if that Jedi Order game is as fun as some folk say it is...

 

[Lounds]

Somehow I feel Steam isn't getting replaced by game pass or EA play any time soon.

 

[Bamda]

Having not purchased Star Wars: Squadrons or STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order yet this is awesome as I can play both now on XBox Game Pass for PC.