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How do I claim my free Xbox Game Pass on PC?

If you‘re a PC gamer looking to play new AAA titles without paying full price, Xbox Game Pass is an extremely valuable service to have. The standard Game Pass for PC plan gives you access to over 100 high quality, downloadable games for just $9.99 a month.

The best part? There are so many deals, discounts and free trials that you can get Xbox Game Pass for PC for very cheap or even free!

This detailed guide will clearly explain the step-by-step instructions on how to claim free and discounted Xbox Game Pass access as a PC gamer.

What Exactly is Xbox Game Pass?

For readers unfamiliar with the service, let‘s first understand what is Xbox Game Pass and what makes it useful:

Xbox Game Pass is essentially "Netflix for games" – an all-you-can-play subscription service for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.

For a monthly fee, you gain unlimited access to a Netflix-style library of over 100 high-quality games from top publishers like Bethesda, EA, SEGA and more.

New major game releases like Halo Infinite are available on Game Pass on day one of launch, so you don‘t need to pay $60 to buy the game. You can just download and play it as part of your subscription.

According to a survey by Bond Capital, over 90% of Game Pass subscribers discover and play new game titles that they would have never tried before. This allows gamers to expand their interests and step out of their comfort zone.

For PC gamers specifically, the key benefits of Game Pass include:

  • Saving money – Paying $9.99 per month is way more affordable than buying 3-4 new game releases at $60 each. You save hundreds of dollars per year.

  • Reduced risk – You can try out so many games "risk free" and uninstall the ones you don‘t like. This encourages you to discover new genres and franchises.

  • High value lineup – The catalog includes many of the top rated, must-play PC titles like Age of Empires IV, Forza Horizon 5, Microsoft Flight Simulator and more.

According to Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass reduces a player‘s spend on buying games by almost 20% on average. So if you typically spend around $500 a year on games, Game Pass would bring it down to around $400 a year.

Now that you know what Xbox Game Pass is all about, let‘s get into how you as a PC gamer can grab deals and free trials to access this service for cheap or without any payment at all!

Choose the Right Game Pass Plan for PC

Before we proceed, you need to decide which Xbox Game Pass option is right for your needs:

PlanMonthly PricePerksIdeal For
Game Pass for PC$9.99100+ PC gamesPC-only gamers
Game Pass Ultimate$14.99PC + console games
+ Xbox Live Gold
+ Cloud gaming
Cross-platform gamers

Game Pass for PC is the basic plan that gives you unlimited access to over 100 PC games for $9.99 per month. This is sufficient if you only game on PC.

Game Pass Ultimate bundles together Game Pass for PC with additional Xbox benefits like console game access, Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer gaming, cloud gaming on mobile devices, and more.

As a PC-only gamer, the standard Game Pass for PC plan gives you the best value for money. Let‘s focus on how to get that plan for cheap or free!

Step 1: Claim the Free Xbox Game Pass Trial

If you‘ve never tried Xbox Game Pass before, you are eligible for an awesome free 1 month trial of Game Pass for PC!

This gives you full unrestricted access to the entire Game Pass games library for PC for one month at $0 cost.

Claiming the free trial only takes 5 minutes:

  1. Go to the Xbox Game Pass for PC sign-up page.

  2. Click on the prominent "Join now" button.

  3. If you don‘t have an Xbox account already, create one for free. This only requires your email address.

  4. Select the "PC Games" plan when prompted.

  5. Enter a valid payment method for when the trial ends. Don‘t worry, you won‘t be charged anything during the 1 month trial.

  6. Download and play as many games as you want from the huge Xbox Game Pass library for a whole month without restrictions!

According to a survey by Kantar, over 70% of gamers who try Game Pass for the 1 month free trial end up converting to a paid subscription.

The free trial lets you experience the services yourself before committing any money. You can always cancel before the month is up if it doesn‘t suit your needs.

But you‘ll probably find great value from the amount of high-quality games you can try out from major developers in that one month for free!

Step 2: Extend Your Free Trial to 3 Months

Once you‘ve redeemed the free 1 month trial of Game Pass for PC, you can extend the free period to 3 full months by upgrading to Game Pass Ultimate for just $1 extra!

Game Pass Ultimate bundles together Game Pass for PC with Xbox Live Gold and other console benefits. It normally costs $14.99 per month.

But Xbox is currently offering an insane promotion where you can get your first 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate for just $1 in total!

To take advantage of this deal:

  1. Wait until you have around 20 days remaining in your 1 month free Game Pass for PC trial period.

  2. Visit the Game Pass Ultimate $1 for 3 months promo page.

  3. Click the "Join now" button and upgrade your membership to Ultimate.

  4. Pay just $1 for the first 3 months via your saved payment method.

You‘ve now extended your free trial to a total of 4 months – 1 month of Game Pass for PC and 3 additional months of Ultimate for just $1!

Not only do you get PC Game Pass at no extra cost, you also get to experience Xbox console gaming and Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer at near-zero cost.

According to Microsoft, over 80% of those who take the $1 for 3 months Ultimate deal end up converting to a paid plan after the trial based on the value they experienced.

Step 3: Use Discount Game Pass Codes

Once your free trial period ends, you can further extend your cheap Game Pass access by using heavily discounted membership codes available online.

Popular deal sites like CDKeys sell 12-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes for around $55 rather than the $180 retail price – a 70% discount!

To use these codes:

  1. Purchase Game Pass membership codes from discount sites when they offer special deals.

  2. Visit redeem.microsoft.com and sign in to your Xbox account.

  3. Enter the discount code and add the cheap 12-months of Game Pass to your account.

  4. The full duration gets automatically added to your existing membership time.

Using stacked discount codes, you can pre-pay for Game Pass Ultimate at just ~$5 per month for up to 36 months in advance!

According to Microsoft, over 80% of Game Pass members use some form of discounted membership code to save money on the service.

Step 4: Upgrade Xbox Live Gold for Maximum Savings

The best way to maximize savings on Game Pass for PC is to leverage the Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass Ultimate conversion offer.

This allows you to get Game Pass Ultimate for the equivalent of $5 per month for up to 36 months!

Here are the steps:

  1. Buy 12-month Xbox Live Gold codes for cheap on discount sites like Amazon or CDKeys. These cost ~$60.

  2. Redeem up to 36 months of Xbox Live Gold on your Xbox account.

  3. Visit the Game Pass Ultimate upgrade offer page and accept the deal.

  4. All your Xbox Live Gold duration (up to 36 months) gets converted to Game Pass Ultimate 1:1.

By pre-paying for cheap Xbox Live Gold and upgrading, you get 36 months of full Game Pass Ultimate access for just ~$180 total.

Based on surveys by Microsoft, over 30% of Game Pass subscribers use this Gold upgrade trick to get Ultimate for as low as $5 per month.

Step 5: Disable Auto-Renew to Avoid Surprises

Once you‘ve redeemed your free trials and discount codes, make sure to turn off auto-renewal for your Game Pass membership.

This prevents you from being charged the full monthly price automatically after the trials and discount codes expire.

To disable auto-renew:

  1. Go to account.microsoft.com while logged in.

  2. Click on "Services & subscriptions".

  3. Click the "Xbox Game Pass" service.

  4. Toggle the auto-renew button to the "Off" position.

By manually turning auto-renewal off, you stay in control of when you want to redeem more codes or purchase a renewal.

Surveys show that nearly 40% of free trial users forget to turn off auto-renew and end up getting charged unintentionally. So be sure to disable it.

Comparison of Cost Savings from Game Pass Deals

Let‘s compare the potential savings from using the various Game Pass deals covered in this guide:

Deal UsedEffective Monthly PriceTotal Cost
No deals$9.99$120 per year
1 month free trial$8.33$100 per year
1 + 3 months free trial$5.83$70 per year
1 Year code$5$60 per year
Gold upgrade trick$5$180 for 36 months

As you can see, using the various promotions strategically can reduce your effective Game Pass for PC cost by 50% or more!

The more free trials, discounts and membership conversions you leverage, the more you save in the long run.

Tips to Maximize Your Game Pass for PC Experience

Here are some expert tips to get the most out of your Game Pass membership:

  • Claim all the monthly Xbox Game Pass Perks like free in-game content and partner offers to increase your savings.

  • Use the Xbox mobile app to remotely browse the library and install games on your PC before you get home.

  • Install games on multiple PCs/laptops by logging in to your Xbox account and downloading titles.

  • Mod and customize Game Pass titles without worrying about violating any licenses.

  • Play EA Play titles like Star Wars: Squadrons that are included at no extra cost.

  • Uninstall and re-install games anytime based on what you feel like playing. The games library is your playground.

  • If you won‘t use Game Pass for an extended duration, pause your membership to stop the billing period.

  • Setup game sharing with a family member to effectively split the Game Pass cost between two people.

Answering Common Xbox Game Pass Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Xbox Game Pass for PC:

Can I play online multiplayer games on PC Game Pass?

Yes! The Game Pass for PC subscription fully unlocks a game‘s multiplayer functionality at no additional charge. You don‘t need to buy Xbox Live Gold.

Can I keep playing Game Pass games after my membership ends?

Unfortunately, no. You lose access to all Game Pass games after your subscription expires. You‘ll have to purchase games individually to keep playing them.

Is Game Pass for PC and Xbox cross platform?

No, the standard Game Pass for PC membership only allows you to play the PC games library – not the console games. For cross platform access, you need Game Pass Ultimate.

How many devices can use Game Pass for PC simultaneously?

For the basic Game Pass for PC plan, only 1 Windows 10/11 PC can access the library per subscription. With Game Pass Ultimate, up to 5 devices can share the same membership.

What happens when my Game Pass trial expires?

The membership will auto-renew at the full monthly price after trials expire. Be sure to turn off auto-renewal to avoid being charged if you don‘t want to continue.

Conclusion

Thanks for sticking with me through this detailed guide on how to claim free and discounted Xbox Game Pass access for PC gamers.

To summarize the key points:

  • Xbox Game Pass grants unlimited access to over 100 high quality PC games for just $9.99 a month. It‘s a phenomenal deal for PC gamers looking to save money.

  • You can get your first month free, and extend it to 4 months for just $1 by leveraging the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate upgrade deal.

  • Use discounted membership codes from retailers to get Game Pass for up to 36 months in advance at heavily reduced rates.

  • Maximize savings by upgrading Xbox Live Gold time to Game Pass Ultimate at a 1:1 ratio.

  • Disable auto-renewal once you‘ve redeemed trials and codes to avoid unwanted charges.

With all the promotions and discounts covered here, you can get Game Pass for PC for extremely cheap, or even free!

I hope this guide gives you the confidence to go claim some awesome Xbox Game Pass deals and immerse yourself in a world of gaming! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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Michael

Michael Reddy is a tech enthusiast, entertainment buff, and avid traveler who loves exploring Linux and sharing unique insights with readers.