Don’t have Ultimate? Now basic Game Pass also allows cloud and PC play, we explain how

Game Pass Core and Standard debut premium features: cloud streaming and PC access without extra cost.

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Xbox continues to take steps to make Xbox Game Pass the most comprehensive service in the industry. If until now the benefits of cloud gaming and accessing PC titles were reserved for Ultimate subscribers, from today some of these benefits start to arrive at Core and Standard in a testing phase. Xbox Insiders can already experience it firsthand.

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This new feature opens the door for more players to enjoy their library on any device, without the need for downloads, and even access certain PC games with more basic plans. This means that, little by little, Xbox Game Pass starts to blur the lines between its different modes and reinforces the idea of a global service for all players.

How the new Xbox Game Pass features work

• With this update, those in the Insider program with a Core or Standard subscription will be able to play cloud games from their compatible library titles. The process is simple: just log in to the Xbox app on the console, PC, browser, or compatible TV, and from there choose any game with cloud support to launch it directly, without downloading it. Additionally, if the player owns a game that has a “cloud” version, they will also be able to run it in streaming, even if it’s not part of Game Pass.
• On the other hand, access to a selection of PC games has been enabled in these plans. This is managed through the Xbox app for Windows: when you log in with your account and check the Game Pass tab, new PC titles will appear, ready to download and play on your computer or portable devices with Windows 11. This is an intermediate step that expands the flexibility of the service and could be extended to the entire catalog in the future.

Coming soon for everyone

This testing phase shows that Microsoft is seeking to break down even more barriers between console, PC, and cloud. If Ultimate was already a benchmark, now Core and Standard are starting to approach that experience. And the best part is that these features are added without any extra cost for those already subscribed.