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How to Get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for Free in 2023 – A Step-by-Step Guide for You

Have you heard about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? It gives you unlimited access to over 100 high-quality games for your Xbox console, PC, and mobile devices for one low monthly fee. It‘s an incredible deal for hardcore gamers like us who love discovering new titles.

But get this – there are actually ways you can get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate without paying a cent. That‘s right, free!

In this detailed guide, I‘ll clearly walk you through all the tricks and loopholes to score free Game Pass Ultimate access. With the right tips, you can enjoy the latest games risk-free.

An Introduction to Game Pass for You

First, let me give you a quick rundown of everything that‘s included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership:

  • Play over 400 games spanning new releases, Xbox classics, indie darlings, and PC greats. More games are added all the time so there‘s always something new to discover!

  • Access Xbox exclusives like Halo and Forza on release day at no extra cost. No more paying $60+ just to play these premier titles.

  • Download and play games on Xbox consoles, Windows 10 PCs, and Android mobile devices. Gaming on the go!

  • Join friends for online multiplayer and get exclusive member discounts up to 20% on game purchases and DLC.

  • Enjoy over 100 games from EA including FIFA, Mass Effect, Battlefield, and more with EA Play access. Early trials of new EA titles before release!

According to Microsoft, all this gaming goodness is worth $14.99 per month. But with my money-saving hacks, you can gain access without spending a dime. Keep reading!

Take Advantage of the Limited Time $1 Offer for New Members

Here‘s the easiest way to score free Game Pass Ultimate – Microsoft offers the first month for only $1 to new members!

After signing up for the offer, you‘ll gain one month of full access for just a buck. Here are the steps:

  1. Go to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate deal page on your console or the website.

  2. Click "Join now" and sign up as a new member.

  3. Enter payment details – don‘t worry, you won‘t be charged more than $1 for the first month.

  4. Enjoy unlimited gaming on Xbox and PC for the next 30 days!

Now, the subscription will auto-renew at the full $14.99 price after the first month. So just be sure to turn off recurring billing in your Microsoft account settings to avoid being charged.

The good news is this $1 deal comes back every few months, so you can keep scoring new free trials repeatedly. Just cancel and wait for the offer to pop up again!

Redeem Free Months Included with Xbox Console Purchases

Did you know purchasing a new Xbox console often comes with a free Game Pass trial? For example, Xbox Series S frequently bundles a 1-3 month Game Pass membership.

When you set up a new console, redeem any free Game Pass trials included with the purchase. You can also take advantage of the $1 upgrade deal detailed below to extend the free access even longer!

Even if your console didn‘t come with a Game Pass code, keep an eye out for holiday or back to school promotional periods when Microsoft generously includes free trials.

Earn Points with Microsoft Rewards for Free Game Pass

Microsoft Rewards is a loyalty program that lets you earn points simply by using Bing search, playing games, taking surveys and more. Best part – those points can be cashed in for free Game Pass membership!

Here are some tips to quickly earn points:

  • Check the mobile Rewards app daily for new point opportunities

  • Search on Bing – earn 100 points per day just by completing searches

  • Take short surveys for 100 – 300 points each

  • Enable daily offers on your Xbox for quick achievements

10,000 points can be exchanged for a free month of Game Pass Ultimate. With consistent Bing searches and survey completion, you can easily score enough for multiple months per year!

According to Microsoft, the average user can earn over 14,000 points per month. That‘s a free 1-2 months of gaming!

Split the Cost with Xbox Game Sharing

Sharing is caring! If you have a fellow gamer friend, you can take advantage of Xbox console game sharing to access Game Pass Ultimate at half the cost.

Here‘s how it works:

  1. On your friend‘s Xbox, log in to your account and set their console as your account‘s home Xbox.

  2. Have your friend log in to your Xbox to set it as their account‘s home Xbox.

Now you both share the same digital games, add-ons, and Game Pass membership! Just coordinate payments every other month and you each pay 50% for the subscription.

According to Reddit users, this console game sharing trick has worked flawlessly for years. And Microsoft officially permits sharing with one other user.

Enter Contests and Giveaways for Free 1 Month Codes

Keep an eye out for special contests and giveaways from Microsoft, popular gaming blogs, and YouTube creators where they raffle off free 1 month codes for Game Pass.

For example, Microsoft often runs social media contests where they give codes to random followers who retweet or comment.

Gaming sites like IGN, GameSpot, and Polygon frequently run free code giveaways when covering new Xbox releases.

Top YouTubers like JackFrags, ACG, DreamcastGuy, and HeelVsBabyface also partner with Microsoft around major game launches to provide codes to fans.

It takes some persistence, but eventually you can score a few months worth of free codes through these special giveaways!

The Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass Ultimate Conversion Trick

This ingenious hack allows you to convert up to 3 years of Xbox Live Gold membership into Game Pass Ultimate – for huge savings!

Here are the steps:

  1. Let any active Game Pass subscription expire and turn off recurring billing.

  2. Stock up on 12-month Xbox Live Gold codes available for ~$60 each from retailers like Amazon, CDKeys, etc. Redeem up to 3 years worth of codes.

  3. Take the $1 Game Pass Ultimate upgrade offer to convert all the prepaid Gold to full Game Pass benefits.

By stacking prepaid Gold and upgrading for $1, you get 36 months of Ultimate for around $180 instead of $540 retail value. You‘re welcome!

According to WindowsCentral, this is hands down the best way to maximize Game Pass savings. But you only get the deal once, so make it count!

Buy Discounted Xbox Gift Cards to Save More

Here‘s another money-saving tip – buy discounted Xbox gift cards to lower the effective monthly price of Game Pass.

Keep an eye out for Xbox gift card deals on sale sites like Slickdeals, DealNews, and SDGamingDeals to purchase $100 cards for up to 20% off or more.

With gift card savings in hand, use the funds to purchase Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions for less than face value. If you find cards discounted 20% around the holidays, your effective monthly price is only $12!

Game Share with a Generous Friend

Alternatively, if you have an extremely generous friend willing to share their account, Xbox game sharing allows you to access their active Game Pass subscription free of charge.

To set it up:

  1. Log into your Xbox profile on your friend‘s console and set it as your home Xbox.

  2. Have them log into their profile on your console to set it as their home Xbox.

Now you can play from their Game Pass library as if you owned it yourself! Of course, this only works as long as your friend continues to renew their subscription.

While arguably unfair for the friend paying, it‘s another way you can gain free access if you have an open-minded gamer buddy.

Rotate Between Accounts for Repeated Free Trials

We‘re venturing into shady waters here, but it is possible to repeatedly take advantage of new account free trials by creating fresh Xbox profiles.

Potential freebies for new accounts include:

  • $1 first month of Game Pass Ultimate deal
  • 1 month free trial with new Xbox console purchase
  • Microsoft Rewards points redeemable for 1 month free
  • Contests and giveaways limited to new members

By rotating between a handful of profiles, you can string together quite a few free months.

Just be aware Microsoft doesn‘t allow exploiting trials like this, so proceed with caution!

Lower the Cost with the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan

If you have family or friends who are also Xbox Game Pass members, you can take advantage of Microsoft‘s new Game Pass friends & family plan to lower the monthly cost.

For $22 per month, up to 5 people can share the same Ultimate subscription while using their own unique profiles. That‘s just $4.40 per person!

According to Windows Central, this makes Game Pass more affordable if you split the cost between a group of gaming buddies or family members.

The one limitation is you don‘t get Xbox game sharing benefits – but for under $5 monthly, it‘s still an amazing deal for access to 100+ games.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions on scoring free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

Does the $1 new subscriber deal come back if I‘ve used it before?

Yes! Even if you‘ve already redeemed the $1 offer in the past, it will frequently pop back up after your subscription expires or remains inactive for a while. Keep checking back.

Can I still redeem Xbox Live Gold codes if my membership is inactive?

Absolutely. You can redeem up to 3 years worth of Gold codes to add time to your account even with no active membership. This allows you to load up codes before doing the Game Pass upgrade.

What‘s the maximum amount of Xbox Live Gold I can convert to Game Pass Ultimate?

You can convert up to 3 years (36 months) of prepaid Gold membership to Game Pass Ultimate when taking the $1 upgrade deal. Stacking more than 3 years won‘t extend the benefits.

Does Xbox game sharing with the family plan work the same as a normal subscription?

Unfortunately no – the family plan doesn‘t allow console game sharing. It simply permits up to 5 accounts to access the shared Ultimate benefits. No home Xbox tricks will work.

What happens after a free trial period expires?

The subscription will automatically renew at the full standard pricing unless you specifically turn off recurring billing beforehand. So be sure to cancel ahead of time if you only want the free trial.

Conclusion

Phew, that was a lot of info to go through! But now you have a complete step-by-step playbook to get free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in 2023.

The key is taking advantage of the various Microsoft deals, giveaways, reward programs, and even creative workarounds like account sharing.

With some dedicated effort, you can string together multiple back-to-back free trials. And by toggling recurring billing on and off, you can stay subscribed only during promotional periods!

While scoring 365 days of free gaming every year isn‘t realistic, you can at least alternate paid and unpaid months to massively reduce the cost long term.

Hopefully these tips help you avoid paying full price again for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Game on!

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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.