Xbox Game Pass Essential Price and Plan Comparison
Xbox Game Pass Essential is the entry tier of Microsoft's game subscription, replacing the former Game Pass Core. It includes online console multiplayer and a curated catalog of console and PC games. This page tracks the current catalog, official pricing, and what changed in the lineup.
- Active catalog
- 115
- Trusted catalog check
- Not available
Official plan pricing
Start with the verified official price
No fresh, reviewed merchant destinations are available yet
No approved merchant offers are available.
Official monthly price: $9.99
Current catalog
115 games included
Last approved sync: Not available
Once Human
Added Sep 7, 2026
Wuthering Waves
Added Sep 7, 2026
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Added Oct 4, 2023
Vampire Survivors
Added Oct 20, 2022
Medieval Dynasty
Added Oct 6, 2022
Grounded
Added Sep 27, 2022
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Added Sep 6, 2022
TUNIC
Added Mar 16, 2022
Among Us
Added Dec 14, 2021
Psychonauts 2
Added Aug 25, 2021
Hades
Added Aug 13, 2021
Chivalry 2
Added Jun 8, 2021
Deep Rock Galactic
Added May 13, 2020
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Added Mar 11, 2020
Wreckfest
Added Aug 27, 2019
DayZ
Added Mar 27, 2019
Gang Beasts
Added Mar 27, 2019
ASTRONEER
Added Feb 6, 2019
Fallout 76
Added Nov 14, 2018
Dead Cells
Added Aug 7, 2018
Overcooked! 2
Added Aug 7, 2018
The Elder Scrolls Online: Standard Edition
Added Jun 6, 2017
Stardew Valley
Added Dec 14, 2016
Dishonored 2
Added Nov 11, 2016
Price interpretation
Put the monthly price in context
Compare like-for-like durations and check restrictions before using a headline price. Trial and non-stackable products can look cheaper without offering the same renewal value.
- Active catalog
- 115 games
- Official monthly price
- $9.99
- 12-month reference
- $79.99
- Monthly cost per 100 catalog games
- $8.69
The cost-per-100 figure measures catalog breadth only. It does not score game quality, ownership, DLC, or how long each title remains available.
Plan features
Online Multiplayer
Game Catalog
Day-One Releases
Cloud Gaming
EA Play Included
DLC Discounts
How this page is built
Catalog membership
Included games come from official provider catalog feeds. Price comparison data never adds or removes games from this catalog.
Plan offers
Offer variants are normalized by duration, region, trial status and stackability. Purchase links appear only after a real merchant destination has been reviewed.
Why can the lowest price differ from the official monthly fee?
Multi-month products can reduce the effective monthly cost. Always check duration, region and stackability before comparing them with a renewable official plan.
What happens when a catalog update looks wrong?
Empty results and unusually large removals are blocked from replacing the last approved catalog until they are reviewed.
Why is an offer link sometimes unavailable?
The plan can still be compared while its destination, product restrictions or price mapping is under review.