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Short answer: the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks in 2026 are 500+ games on Xbox console, PC and the cloud, new games on day one (except Call of Duty), EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, online multiplayer, in-game benefits, extra Microsoft Rewards points and member discounts. In the US it costs $22.99 a month since 21 April 2026, and from November 2026 it includes 15 hours of cloud gaming every month.
This guide explains every Game Pass Ultimate benefit in plain words, compares Ultimate with the cheaper plans, and shows you how to redeem a prepaid code. We checked each fact against Xbox’s own pages in October 2026.
- Price (US): $22.99 per month, down from $29.99 on 21 April 2026
- Games: 500+ on Xbox console, PC and supported devices
- Day-one games: yes, except new Call of Duty games
- Included services: EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew
- Cloud gaming: 15 hours a month from November 2026
- Longest stack: 36 months of Ultimate on one account
Table of Contents
What are the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks?
Game Pass Ultimate is the top Xbox Game Pass plan. It puts the console and PC game libraries into one membership and adds services that normally cost extra. These are the ten Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks that matter most:
- 500+ games on Xbox console, PC and supported devices
- New games on the day they launch (new Call of Duty games excluded since 2026)
- EA Play, with 10% off eligible EA digital purchases
- Ubisoft+ Classics
- Fortnite Crew
- Xbox Cloud Gaming at Xbox’s best streaming quality
- Online multiplayer on console
- In-game benefits and free items in popular games
- 4x Microsoft Rewards points
- Member discounts on games and partner offers
Some of these, like Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics, are only in Ultimate. Others, like online multiplayer, are also part of the cheaper plans. You will find the details of each one below.
How much does Game Pass Ultimate cost in 2026?
In the United States, Game Pass Ultimate costs $22.99 per month. Microsoft cut the price from $29.99 on 21 April 2026, after a big price rise in 2025. On the same day, PC Game Pass dropped from $16.49 to $13.99 a month (Xbox Wire, 21 April 2026).
Two other changes came with the lower price:
- Call of Duty is no longer day one. New Call of Duty games now join Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass during the following holiday season, about a year after launch. Call of Duty games that are already in the library stay available. For example, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October 2026 and is not part of Game Pass at launch.
- Cloud gaming gets a monthly limit. In September 2026 Xbox announced that, starting in November, every plan includes a set number of cloud hours: 15 hours a month with Ultimate, 10 with Premium and 5 with Essential. You can buy extra cloud time in the Xbox Store (Xbox Wire, 3 September 2026).
Prices are different in other countries, and Xbox can change them at any time, so check the current price on the official Xbox Game Pass page before you subscribe.
The 10 Game Pass Ultimate benefits explained
Here is what each benefit really gives you, and who it is useful for.
1. 500+ games on console, PC and cloud
Ultimate gives you the biggest Game Pass library: more than 500 games you can play on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC and other supported devices. That is ten times more than Essential (50+ games) and more than double Premium (200+ games).
The library changes every month. Xbox adds new games in waves and removes some older ones, and it usually says which games are leaving a couple of weeks before they go. If you love a game that is leaving, check the member discount and keep it.
2. New games on day one
Day-one access is the best-known Game Pass Ultimate benefit. Selected new games, including games from Xbox Game Studios, join the library on the day they launch, so you can play them without buying them. Premium only gets new Xbox-published games within a year of launch, and Essential does not get new releases at all.
New games keep arriving every month. In October 2026, for example, Battlefield 6 joined Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on 13 October, and Gears of War: E-Day and Minecraft Dungeons II are listed as available now (Xbox Wire, 7 October 2026). Remember the one big exception: new Call of Duty games now arrive about a year after launch.
3. EA Play included
EA Play is Electronic Arts’ own subscription, and Game Pass Ultimate includes it at no extra cost. You get a library of EA games, member rewards in some games (for example the EA Play Deployment Pack in Battlefield 6) and 10% off eligible EA digital purchases.
If you play EA sports or shooter games every year, this benefit alone covers a good part of the membership price.
4. Ubisoft+ Classics
Ultimate also includes Ubisoft+ Classics, a collection of older Ubisoft games. Xbox added it to Game Pass Ultimate in late 2025 and kept it after the 2026 price cut. If you like Ubisoft’s big open-world series, it adds many extra games to your library at no extra cost.
5. Fortnite Crew
Fortnite Crew is Epic Games’ monthly Fortnite membership. With Game Pass Ultimate it is included: you get access to several Fortnite passes plus V-Bucks every month while your Ultimate membership is active. Xbox explains how to claim it on its Game Pass pages. If you need more V-Bucks than the Crew gives you, you can also buy Fortnite V-Bucks codes separately.
6. Xbox Cloud Gaming (and the new hour limit)
Cloud gaming lets you stream games from Xbox servers to a phone, tablet, PC, web browser, supported smart TVs or an Xbox console, without downloading them first. Ultimate streams at Xbox’s best quality.
From November 2026 cloud play has a monthly limit: 15 hours with Ultimate. Xbox says you can buy more time in the Xbox Store if you run out, and that it will share more details in November. If you mostly play downloaded games on your console or PC, the limit will not change much for you. All details: Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2026.
7. Online multiplayer on console
To play most paid online multiplayer games on an Xbox console you need a Game Pass membership. Ultimate includes online console multiplayer, so you do not need a separate plan for it. Free-to-play games such as Fortnite do not need a membership to play online.
8. In-game benefits and perks
Members get free in-game items and offers in popular games. Xbox lists in-game benefits for games such as League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone and Asphalt Legends, and the offers change every month. Some perks are for all Game Pass members and some only for Ultimate. You find them in the Perks section of the Xbox app or on your console.
9. Microsoft Rewards: 4x points
With Ultimate you earn 4x Rewards points, and Game Pass Quests are only for Premium and Ultimate members. Xbox says you can earn up to $100 a year in Microsoft Store value with Rewards. Terms apply: you need a Microsoft account, gameplay rewards are for adults (18+), and Rewards is only available in some countries.
10. Member discounts and partner offers
Ultimate also unlocks member discounts on games and add-ons in the Xbox Store, plus partner benefits that change over time. Check the member price before you buy any game: it is often lower than the normal price.
Ultimate vs Essential, Premium and PC Game Pass
Not sure which plan you need? This table compares the four Game Pass plans in the US (October 2026):
| Plan | Price | Games | Day one | Cloud* | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $9.99 | 50+ | No | 5 h | Online multiplayer |
| Premium | $14.99 | 200+ | Xbox games within a year | 10 h | Online multiplayer, Quests |
| Ultimate | $22.99 | 500+ | Yes (not Call of Duty) | 15 h | EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, Quests |
| PC Game Pass | $13.99 | 300+ | Yes, on PC | None | PC games only |
Pick Essential if you mainly want online multiplayer and a small library. Pick Premium if you are happy to wait for new Xbox games. Pick PC Game Pass if you only play on a Windows PC. Pick Ultimate if you play on console and want new games on day one, EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew in one membership. Our full comparison of Game Pass Essential vs Premium vs Ultimate helps you choose.
Is Game Pass Ultimate worth it?
For most people who play on an Xbox console, yes. A new full-price game usually costs $70 or more, while three months of Ultimate cost $68.97 at the official US price, and that includes hundreds of games plus EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew.
Game Pass Ultimate is probably not worth it for you if:
- you only play one or two games a year, like a new Call of Duty or a yearly sports game, and you buy them anyway;
- you only play on a Windows PC, because PC Game Pass is cheaper;
- you mainly want cloud gaming for many hours every week, because from November you get 15 hours a month.
A simple way to decide: get a short prepaid code (for example three months), play the new releases, and see how much you use it. Prepaid codes also mean you do not need to save a bank card on your Microsoft account.
5 tips to get more from Game Pass Ultimate
- Follow the monthly waves. Xbox announces new games and games that are leaving on Xbox Wire, usually twice a month.
- Keep your favourites. Use the member discount to buy a game before it leaves the library, so you keep your progress.
- Claim your perks. Open the Perks section once a month, because many offers only run for a limited time.
- Try before you download. Start a game in the cloud to see if you like it, but remember that from November cloud time counts against your 15 hours.
- Do your Quests. Rewards Quests give extra points that you can turn into Microsoft Store credit.
Bonus tip: one subscription can cover the whole family. Set your console as your home Xbox and everyone who signs in there can play. See how to share Game Pass.
How to redeem a Game Pass Ultimate code
Game Pass codes have 25 characters. The quickest way to redeem one is on the web: go to xbox.com/redeem, sign in with the Microsoft account you use on your Xbox and enter the code. You can also redeem it on the console (Store > View button > Redeem) or in the Microsoft Store app on Windows.
Before you redeem, check that you are signed in to the right account (a redeemed code cannot be moved), that your account region matches the code, and that you stay within the 36-month limit for Ultimate (Xbox subscription limits). Our step-by-step guide on how to redeem a Game Pass code covers every device, stacking and the common errors.
Get a 3-month Game Pass Ultimate code from IQSIX
IQSIX sells a 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate code for US Microsoft accounts. You pay once, and there is no monthly subscription to cancel.
- Delivery: after your payment is confirmed, we send the code by email (or on WhatsApp if you ask).
- Payment: crypto, card, or a Remitly bank or mobile money transfer at checkout.
- Region: it is a USA code, so check that your Microsoft account region is the United States before you buy.
- Help: our team helps you redeem the code on WhatsApp or through our contact page.
Looking for other gaming codes? See all our game cards and top-ups or browse the full IQSIX shop. Also play on PlayStation? Read how to redeem a PSN gift card.
Game Pass Ultimate FAQ
What is included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
Game Pass Ultimate includes 500+ games on console, PC and cloud, new games on day one (not Call of Duty), EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew, online console multiplayer, in-game benefits, 4x Rewards points and member discounts.
How much is Game Pass Ultimate per month in 2026?
In the United States it costs $22.99 per month since 21 April 2026. Before that it was $29.99. Prices are different in other countries.
Is Call of Duty included in Game Pass Ultimate?
Call of Duty games that are already in the library stay included. New Call of Duty games no longer join on day one: they arrive during the following holiday season, about a year after launch.
How many hours of cloud gaming do you get with Game Pass Ultimate?
From November 2026, Game Pass Ultimate includes 15 hours of cloud gaming per month. Premium includes 10 hours and Essential 5 hours. You can buy extra hours in the Xbox Store.
Can I stack Game Pass Ultimate codes?
Yes. You can add Game Pass Ultimate time up to a maximum of 36 months on one account. If a code would go over the limit, you can redeem it later.
Will a USA Game Pass code work in my country?
A USA code works on a Microsoft account set to the United States region. If your account is set to another country, the code may be rejected. If you are not sure, contact IQSIX on WhatsApp before you buy.
Sources, checked 17 October 2026: Xbox Wire price update, Xbox Wire cloud gaming changes, Xbox Wire October 2026 games, xbox.com Game Pass plans and Xbox Support. Game Pass prices and benefits can change, so check Xbox’s site before you buy.
