Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now

Key Points

• Xbox Game Pass offers a rotating catalog of over 300 cloud games, 464 console games, and 442 PC titles, while GeForce Now has over 1,200 games and works with games you already own.
• GeForce Now allows you to play games from major PC storefronts like Steam, GOG, Epic, UBISOFT, and Electronic Arts, and even Xbox PC games.
• Both services offer similar performance and accessibility, but GeForce Now provides more control over settings and fine-tuning.
• Pricing is comparable between the platforms, with Xbox Game Pass offering three plans ranging from $9.99 to $14.99 per month, and GeForce Now offering a free tier, a $9.99 Priority plan, and a $19.99 Ultimate plan.

Cloud gaming is an amazing way to play certain titles on multiple devices without owning a PC or console. Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now is the comparison most gamers will make when getting into cloud gaming for the first time. Both services have their strengths and weaknesses, but completely different structures which affect areas like game selection and performance.

Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now: Side-by-Side Comparison

Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now: What’s the Difference?

Many cloud gaming services have a lot in common, from the selection of games to the devices you can play on. Both Game Pass and GeForce Now share some similarities but are different in some important areas, including game selection and accessibility.

Game Selection

When you use a cloud gaming service, game selection can make or break the experience as much as lag. Microsoft and NVIDIA run two of the best cloud gaming services around, so there’s no shortage of content on either platform. Keep reading to learn more about the content available on both services.

Game Pass Games         

Game Pass is a service with a rotating catalog of titles of games to play for a set price. Each month, Microsoft adds new games to the platform while taking more away providing gamers with a Netflix-like platform.

One of the cool things about Game Pass is Microsoft’s partnerships with publishers. It’s not uncommon to see Day-1 releases on Game Pass. While most are indies, two of their subscription tier include titles from EA. That means you can play Madden 23, the latest version of FIFA, and a slew of other games. What you have access to varies, but here’s a rough idea of what you can expect

At the moment, there are more than 300 cloud games on Game Pass you can play from anywhere. There are also 464 console games from the Xbox and 442 PC titles. Some games are available on multiple platforms, but the selection is absolutely massive. Game Pass has something for everyone including multiplayer games, retro classics, and AAA titles from the biggest franchises.

There are over 50 games with EA Play, including their sports titles and franchises like Battlefield, Star Wars, Dead Space, and Sim City. There are games optimized for the Xbox Series X|S, such as Assassin’s Creed Origins, Grounded, and Gears Tactics. HALO fans will have their hands full, but gamers that live in the cloud also have some fantastic options.

Want to play MLB The Show 23 on your iPad? That’s an option, and so is Rainbow Six Siege, Sea of Thieves, and Hitman World of Assassination. While Microsoft does remove between 10-20 titles each month, they give advance warning, and new games are added to replace the old ones.

GeForce Now Games    

Game Pass and GeForce share a lot of the same titles, but GeForce Now has more games. There are well over 1,200 at any time with new games added on a regular basis. GFN Thursdays sees new games listed, but there’s a big difference in what you can actually play.

GeForce Now is also a subscription-based service, but it works with games you already own. While games can be removed from their service, that’s at the publishers’ discretion. That may not seem ideal compared to Game Pass’s free buffet, but GeForce lets you access far more titles across the board.

The selection on GeForce Now is impressive. Their catalog covers Steam games along with titles from several major digital gaming stores. The ability to play games from your Steam library is amazing, but just the tip of the iceberg with this cloud gaming service. They are also connected to GOG, Epic, UBISOFT, and Electronic Arts.

There are far too many games to list on GeForce now across those publishers, but you can search their catalog to see if your favorite is listed. As a bonus, Microsoft recently announced they are bringing Xbox PC games to GeForce Now as well further blurring the lines between the services.

At the moment, NVIDIA has all the major PC storefronts covered and they have improved the platform in recent years. Don’t be surprised if more publishers are added to the service, especially given Microsoft’s recent announcement.

Performance

When you’re gaming from the cloud instead of your own hardware, it can be tough to know what to expect. Fans of multiplayer games have to consider things like latency, and nobody wants a game to run choppy or with spotty audio. Both of those things can be an issue with Game Pass and GeForce Now depending on your home internet connection.

These companies rely on massive servers and high-end hardware for cloud gaming. Xbox has a head start with Game Pass, which has gone through several betas over the years. While you still need a steady connection, we have had no problems with streaming quality 90% of the time. You may still hit a snag during peak hours, but it’s been a smooth experience personally.

One of GeForce Now’s selling points is its hardware. The ability to cloud game with an RTX 4080 is definitely an advantage, but you can still experience the same occasional headaches from connectivity issues. GeForce is even with Xbox Game Pass from a performance perspective in our opinion. There is one big difference, however.

You can tweak a number of settings through each service, but NVIDIA gives you more control overall. The adjustments will feel right at home for PC gamers, and this allows for a measure of fine-tuning you can’t get from Game Pass. You may struggle to play online shooters on the go with either service, but GeForce gives you more options to work with.

Accessibility

If you don’t own a console, you prefer to play from a mobile, or if you want access to hundreds of games at one price, cloud gaming has a lot of advantages. Accessibility is one of them and it is something that allows gamers to play games on devices that would otherwise be incompatible.

With NVIDIA GeForce Now, gamers can play PC games they own on their computer without worrying about specifications. As long as you have a display and a connection to the internet, you can play games like Cyberpunk 2077 on a Chromebook. This opens the doors to new possibilities for gamers in the cloud, no matter what peripherals you use.

The same is true for Xbox Game Pass. You can use any Bluetooth controller, including ones from the PlayStation family. Keyboards and a good gaming mouse will go a long way with their PC titles as well. Want to play in the cloud from a Mac? Both services are available on Apple’s PCs, along with Windows systems and smartphones.

Accessibility is largely a tie, but the Game Pass app feels smoother on mobile devices. Cloud gamers with an Android smartphone or iPhone will want to keep that in mind, even if the cloud portion on an iPhone requires a small workaround for now. Both systems allow you to use a wide range of devices as well from PCs and smartphones to web browsers.

Pricing

Pricing is key when you’re torn between two subscription-based services with similar features. Game Pass and GeForce Now both provide gamers with incredible value for the price, but only one service currently lets gamers try the service for free.

Microsoft currently has three plans for Xbox Game Pass with Console, PC, and Ultimate. The PC and Console plans are priced at $9.99 compared to the Ultimate Plan at $14.99. Each tier comes allows access to newly released games on the platform along with perks like discounts, but you won’t get EA Play access with the Console plan.

The PC plan gives you that along with the Ultimate Plan. That’s the only package with cloud gaming across the board for PC and consoles along with mobile devices. It’s the best plan for online gamers as well thanks to the inclusion of Xbox Gold.

NVIDIA has two subscription plans for gamers and a free tier. The free service lets anyone try cloud gaming with GeForce now, but your gaming sessions are limited to an hour. You also only get access to standard servers, but $9.99 gets you a significant upgrade. The Priority plan has rates up to 60 FPS with 1080p resolution and 6-hour gaming sessions.

That’s suitable for many gamers, especially when you throw priority access to an RTX rig and premium servers. The company’s Ultimate plan is $19.99 but gives you an RTX 3080 to game with. You’ll also get 8-hour sessions in resolutions up to 4K and double the frame rate at 120 frames per second. Their premium package automatically upgrades the hardware to an RTX 4080 when it’s available.

Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now: 4 Must-Know Facts

• GeForce Now was initially known as NVIDIA Grid.
• Members of the Microsoft Insider community were among the first to test Game Pass.
• GeForce Now’s library has grown from around 80 games to more than 1,200.
• Xbox Game Pass is available in over 40 countries around the world.

Xbox Game Pass vs. GeForce Now: Which One is Better?

PC gamers that have a catalog full of Steam games will want to go for GeForce Now. The same goes for people that simply own a lot of PC games across different platforms and storefronts. Want to run high-end games from your own rig and have a great display, but not the hardware? GeForce Now can solve that problem.

Alternatively, Xbox Game Pass lets you play games you don’t own. It’s the closest thing to a service like Netflix for gamers in the cloud, and Microsoft has made it easy to use. There are enough top-tier titles to satisfy gamers from most genres, and it’s the best way to play premium console and PC games on a smartphone.

Pricing is comparable between the platforms. You can try GeForce Now before you pick up a subscription, and while Microsoft doesn’t do that, they have cheap promotions. At the end of the day, cloud gaming is amazing on both services and you can’t go wrong with either.