Xbox Game Pass Core (Essential)

The price on a card tells you nothing until you divide it by the months it buys. That is why you can switch the rates on and see the figure per 1 month on every variant, and sort the full prepaid listing by best rate. Right now on this tier the six month and twelve month cards give the lowest rates, while the three month one is the most expensive per month. Stores change prices daily and denominations come and go, so treat this as a snapshot rather than a rule: check the rate on the live offer list before you buy.

This is the level that unlocks multiplayer on an Xbox console, something no one buys separately on a computer. On top of that comes a games catalogue, 560 titles in our database. If you mostly play titles you buy individually and need the subscription for online play, this is the tier you are looking for. If a large library is the point, look at Premium or Ultimate instead.

Microsoft has renamed this variant, so in stores you will meet codes labelled both Core and Essential. In practice they are the same subscription level, but it is worth comparing both names when buying, because they are priced differently and carried by different stores. We list them together on this page so you can see them side by side.

Codes marked as trials are meant for new subscribers and will not work on an account that has held the subscription before. Cards described as non-stackable will not add to a running subscription and require it to lapse first. Ordinary codes add time to whatever is on the account. The variant name sits in the offer description and is worth reading to the end.

This denomination has offers in twelve stores with us, more than any other Game Pass variant, and the spread on an identical code is the widest in the family. The Microsoft Store gives certainty and instant activation, key sellers give the price. Some cards are tied to a region, so we only show offers available in your country, and for every store we list the payment, delivery and refund terms.