Xbox Game Pass: how to use Rewards and conversions to save more on Ultimate

The combination of Rewards points and conversion rates makes the difference to pay less in Game Pass.

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With the arrival of the new plans Essential, Premium, and Ultimate, Microsoft has not only modified the catalog and benefits of each level but also adjusted the conversion rates applied when switching from one subscription to another. This directly impacts those seeking the best method to maintain Game Pass Ultimate at the lowest possible price.

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The important detail is that two factors now come into play: how many days are converted when switching from a lower plan to Ultimate and how many Microsoft Rewards points each level generates, which can later be redeemed for balance or extra months.

Plan comparison: conversion + Rewards points

Below is a clear look at how plans convert to Ultimate and what Rewards points they deliver per year:

Where is the greatest benefit?

• PC Game Pass remains the most cost-effective option if we only look at conversion: a 65% conversion rate translates to more days of Ultimate.

• Premium becomes the most balanced choice because it offers a good conversion rate (55%) and doubles the Rewards points compared to Essential. This means that, in the medium term, those points can compensate for balance and extend the subscription.

• Essential, although cheaper, barely converts at 40% and its points are more modest, so it only makes sense if you want to pay the minimum per month.

• EA Play hardly compensates: only a 20% conversion rate and no additional points.

Savings examples with Rewards and conversions in Game Pass

1. Using Premium as a bridge to Ultimate

• You pay for 3 months of Game Pass Premium: 38.97 €.

• When converting to Ultimate, those 90 days are reduced to 55% → you get 50 days of Ultimate.

• In addition, in those 3 months of Premium, you accumulate around 12,500 Rewards points (~12.50 €).

• With those points, you can buy a 10 € gift card in the Xbox Store.

• In the end, the real cost of the 50 days of Ultimate is 26.47 €, which is 0.52 €/day, compared to the 0.90 €/day you would pay by contracting Ultimate directly.

2. With Essential for users who play little but redeem points

• You pay for 3 months of Essential: 26.97 €.

• When converting to Ultimate, you get a 40% conversion rate → 36 days of Ultimate.

• In those 3 months, you get around 6,250 Rewards points (~6.25 €).

• With that balance, the real cost drops to 20.72 € for 36 days, which is 0.57 €/day.

• It’s worse than Premium in terms of quality-price ratio, but cheaper than paying for Ultimate directly.

3. The “winning combo”: PC Game Pass + Rewards in parallel

• If you pay for 3 months of PC Game Pass (≈30 €) and convert it, you get a 65% conversion rate → 59 days of Ultimate.

• Although PC Game Pass doesn’t add as many Rewards points as Essential/Premium, if you use the program in parallel (missions, daily searches, achievements, etc.), you can easily gather 10,000 points in 2-3 months (~10 €).

• This leaves you with an effective cost of around 20 € for almost 2 months of Ultimate, which is 0.34 €/day, the cheapest option if you dedicate time to Rewards tasks.

If you want to extend your Ultimate subscription at the lowest possible cost, the most direct path is still PC Game Pass. But if you also want to maximize Rewards points to reinvest in balance and save even more, the Premium plan becomes the most interesting option.