EA Play vs Xbox Game Pass: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate already includes EA Play, plus 500+ games, day-one releases and cloud play — so on Xbox the question is usually whether you need more than EA’s games. EA Play on its own is a smaller, cheaper membership for EA’s Play List, sold monthly or yearly on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, one platform per subscription.
Option A
Option B
We compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | EA Play | Xbox Game Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Library | EA’s Play List | 50+ to 500+ games |
| Day-one games | Trials | Ultimate and PC |
| PlayStation | Yes | No |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly | Monthly |
| Includes the other | No | Ultimate includes EA Play |
EA Play is one publisher’s catalog; Game Pass is Microsoft’s multi-publisher library. On Xbox and PC they overlap.
If you don’t want to read further
You play mostly EA games, or you’re on PlayStation — EA Play. You want new games on day one and a broad library on Xbox or PC — Game Pass Ultimate, which includes EA Play.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
Library?
EA Play
EA’s Play List.
Xbox Game Pass
50+, 200+ or 500+ games by tier; 300+ on PC Game Pass.
Game Pass is far broader.
Day-one games?
EA Play
Trials of select new EA games.
Xbox Game Pass
New games on day one on Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
For new releases in the subscription, Game Pass.
Platforms?
EA Play
PC (EA app, Steam, Epic), Xbox and PlayStation — one platform per subscription.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox consoles, PC and other devices; cloud play on console tiers.
Only EA Play works on PlayStation.
Billing?
EA Play
Monthly or yearly.
Xbox Game Pass
Monthly.
EA Play lets you pay for a year.
Online play on Xbox?
EA Play
On Xbox, online play needs a Game Pass plan.
Xbox Game Pass
Essential, Premium and Ultimate all include online multiplayer.
Ultimate includes EA Play anyway.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
Games leave
Access ends with the subscription in both.
Auto-renewal
Both renew until you cancel.
Online play on Xbox
Some EA Play online features on Xbox need a Game Pass subscription.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You have Game Pass Ultimate | Nothing extra | EA Play is included. |
| You play on PlayStation | EA Play | Game Pass isn’t available there. |
| You only play EA’s sports games | EA Play | Monthly or yearly. |
| You want new releases from many studios | Game Pass Ultimate | Day-one games. |
- An EA Play subscription works only on the platform where you bought it.
- Play List games need an internet connection to check your membership.
- Game Pass cloud playtime is capped per month.
- Microsoft can raise Game Pass prices with at least 30 days’ notice.
Where the facts come from
Sources: ea.com/ea-play and the US EA Play terms, and xbox.com (en-US) Game Pass pages. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: EA Play or Xbox Game Pass
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Gaming subscriptions” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — newest games: Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass
EA Play: only a limited trial version (3,0/5) · Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass: on release day (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — playing online with others: Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass
EA Play: no — requires a separate subscription (2,0/5) · Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass: yes, but not on all tiers (4,0/5)
If what matters most is — where it works: Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass
EA Play: console and PC (4,0/5) · Xbox Game Pass PC Game Pass: console, PC and cloud (5,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: