As is often the case, Amazon Prime Day, overall, was pretty decent for game deals. On PS5, Switch, and Xbox, we’ve seen some absolute steals in games that range from AAA blockbusters to indie gems.
That’s all good for PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but Xbox Series X game deals | They really look like they’re keeping up appearances. Because? Because Xbox Game Pass exists and is still one of the best overall offers in all games.
This shouldn’t be news to anyone at this point, but it leaves Prime Day offerings for Xbox games looking pretty stale. After all, why should I get Sea of Thieves or Forza Horizon 5 from Amazon when I can play them almost instantly by downloading them from Game Pass? All for the low cost of a monthly subscription, nothing less.
Yes, Xbox Game Pass Is Still So Good
Both Game Pass and its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate premium tier continue to be exceptional value for money. The service even gives you access to amazing games, many of which arrive on Game Pass on day one of launch.
This includes titles from Xbox Game Studios, which Microsoft committed to Xbox Game Pass on day one of launch. Don’t like paying full price for a game you’re not sure you’ll like? Game Pass eliminates this risk. I like that? You get access to a new favorite without paying a dime. And if you don’t, you can simply uninstall with the only loss being a small amount of time invested.
While there are a few exceptions to these Prime Day deals (Far Cry 6 on Xbox Series X has dropped to an impressively low price), the vast majority of Xbox discounts felt anemic. And if you have an Xbox Series S as your console of choice, they are entirely redundant due to that console’s digital-only format.
Xbox Game Pass is also one of those subscription services where the value only increases over time. Especially if you make frequent use of it. From personal experience, I might never have played Outer Wilds or Night in the Woods if they weren’t on Game Pass.
Now, I consider both of my favorite games of all time. Game Pass is not just a convenient way to play games for cheap. It’s an excellent platform for discovery.
The appeal of physical media is not lost on me, however. For one, having these games on disc is often the preferable choice. After all, digital content is finite as long as there is a threat of service shutdown. Xbox Game Pass is not exempt from this.
It’s fair to say that there will come a day when the Xbox Game Pass service will end. Not anytime soon, of course. But outside of emulation, there will come a time when the only way to access many of these games will be through physical discs.
In that sense, you can find a lot of value in buying games like Halo Infinite or Gears 5 for a low price. We also can’t dismiss the notion that Xbox’s policy on the first day of Game Pass launch could change. The subscription service can even get more expensive, potentially driving users away.
But as it stands now, many of those Xbox game deals still seem a little out of place on Amazon Prime Day. Not because they’re not worth owning, but they’re a lot cheaper and instantly accessible via Xbox Game Pass now.
