Honestly the best way to go right now is: PS5 + PC + Switch If you own these three you really don’t have to worry about missing out on anything. You can play pretty much all Xbox exclusive on PC.
Forza Horizon 5 is getting all my hype right now. It’s so beautiful and the map looks so much more varied than the UK in 4.
Sorry for all the questions, but hopefully these are my last: 1) How long do games last on GamePass? Do you have fair warning for when they're going to leave? 2) How common are discounts for digital games on Xbox? If I bought a bunch of discounted games with my first month of a Gold membership, would I have them forever?, 3) I do notice some graphics differences between PS5 and the Series X vs. the Series S in YouTube videos, but do they actually look/feel different on a non-4K TV? I'm like minutes away from pulling the trigger on a Series S nn.
I can only answer the first two but: First party Microsoft titles are basically available on Game Pass forever. Microsoft have also done a deal with EA so that EA play titles are basically permanently available too. Other games tend to hang around for multiple months, and each month there’s a refresh with some titles leaving and some being added - there are ‘leaving soon’ and ‘coming soon’ sections on the Game Pass storefront, so you generally have at least a month’s notice. I can only think of one occasion when I wanted to play a game and it got pulled before I got the chance (MGS V). Any games you purchase, either with a Gold discount or just regularly, are yours to keep and play forever. The sales are pretty similar to PlayStation store sales - there’s basically a constant conveyor belt of games on sale. Some games are both on Game Pass and you have a discounted price to buy them if you want them forever, e.g. A Plague Tale is currently on Game Pass, but you can also buy it for £10.49 (down from £34.99) if you were worried about it going off of Game Pass. It’s not in ‘leaving soon’ though so should be around for a while yet.
All the expiration dates for games on Pass and expiration of sale dates are on the Xbox Store, which is right there in the main menu of the console. The sales happen very often and rotate like every three weeks to a month. One month they might do "all add-on/DLC on sale" and "all Ubisoft on sale", etc.. Game Pass first party games (Microsoft titles) are pretty much on there forever and non-first party games go on usually for at least a few months to even like a year or so unless the publisher decides otherwise. There's games being added to the library every month, whether they are new titles or older ones. edit: @Alphableat covered it in better detail.
Estelle: Men are so complicated. Patty: Their hearts are like labyrinths. I see you, Tales of Vesperia. A little gender stereotype reversal.
It still feels way too early for me to consider upgrading to the next generation, the libraries are still too small when you take away the ports of previous gen titles.
@theelusivechanteuse I just found this Google Sheet of Game Pass games, how long they’ve been on, what’s coming soon, etc. Might be handy!
Uh I wish. October is too stacked for me. Metroid Dread (!!), Project Zero 5, Monkey Ball Banana Mania, physical copy of No More Heroes 1+2. Followed very swiftly by, as you mentioned, Shin Megami Tensei V and Pokémon. Hellllp. I don’t have the time or money. Not to mention NMH 3 just this month and Wario Ware in a few days.
Yeah Q4 is actually quite a thrill for me. I’m glad smaller games are getting to shine on PS5 in particular
Started playing Spiritfarer a couple of days ago, and it's such a beautiful, charming game, and the gameplay loop is so engaging too. Really shouldn't have slept on it this long, from what I played so far it's easily one of the best indie games of the last couple of years.
Its such a little gem! Once you get used to the cadence of the playstyle you can really relax and melt into it's little world and experience its little stories. I hope they make a sequel with more ambition because, I LOVE the whole concept.
Whew you weren't kidding! I'm just SO glad this game is finally over. I started Yakuza 4 last night and it's already such an improvement from the CLUNKINESS that was Y3. The menu improvement, the movement, everything is so vastly improved.
I'm playing Baldo and it's such a good game. It's far from perfect but the story is good, the world is wonderful and the gameplay is a lot of fun. It's harder than I expected, the game gives you no advices and you have to figure out everything on your own. The dungeons are basically big puzzles you have to solve, and the monsters can kill you with one or two attacks, so it's more of a stealth game than an action game.
