WhenXbox Game Passfirst released in 2017, it was a service unlike anything the gaming industry had seen before, at least on the scale that Microsoft was promising. For years,Xbox Game Passwas able to operate without any significant competition, becoming widely regarded as the “best deal in gaming” by those who wanted to try a wider range of video game experiences and receive first-party releases on launch day for no extra cost.
But Xbox Game Pass wasn’t left alone forever. In June 2022, PlayStation Plus released a new three-tier system that followed closely in the footsteps of Xbox Game Pass, with PS Plus Extra offering a library of both first-party and third-party titles, and PS Plus Premium finally offering the backwards-compatibility that fans had been yearning for. For almost three years now,Xbox Game Pass and PS Plushave been waging a silent war against one another, competing to prove their worth month after month. That continues today, as within the span of just a few weeks, PS Plus has delivered one of its worst Essential line-ups, reversed that with one of its best Extra and Premium line-ups, and left Xbox Game Pass to retaliate.
PS Plus' January Reversal Should Encourage Xbox Game Pass to Bring Out The Big Guns
But unfortunately, PS Plus Essential has lost its hot streak in spectacular fashion, withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueheadlining its January 2025 line-up.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehas been an infamousfailure for developer Rocksteady, and its place on PS Plus Essential feels like too little too late, with the game having just received its final update.
WhileNeed for Speed Hot Pursuit RemasteredandTheStanley Parable: Ultra Deluxeare good games, they don’t do quite enough to alleviate the disappointment ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguebeing PS Plus Essential’s January headliner.
PlayStation Plus' Extra and Premium Line-Up Has Turned Things Around
The Ball Is Now In Xbox Game Pass' Court
Xbox Game Pass has had a rather slow start to 2025, offering just three new additions so far. But there are some promising games on the horizon.Sniper Elite: Resistance,Eternal Strands, andCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vectorare all day-one titles set to hitGame Pass this month. But even they might struggle to outshineGod of War Ragnarok.
Xbox Game Pass is going to need to bring out the big guns for February, and while Obsidian’sAvowedis highly anticipated, it’s going to need some other long-awaited additions to stand out in what’s shaping up to be an incredibly busy month for the video game industry.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you may play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
