Microsoft today officially announced the release date and pre-order details of its upcoming Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, and if that wasn't enough, it also revealed a new partnership with Electronic Arts that will see the EA Play subscription join Xbox Game Pass. For those in the dark, EA Play is the newly rebranded subscription service of Electronic Arts, which previously went by EA Access / Origin Access.
"We are teaming up with Electronic Arts to provide Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC members with an EA Play membership at no additional cost starting this holiday," said Xbox head Phil Spencer. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members gain access to EA Play on Xbox One and Xbox Series families of consoles as well as Windows 10, while the Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription holders will only get access to the Windows 10 EA Play variant.
Here are the main features of the partnership that Xbox Game Pass members will enjoy:
- More than 60 of EA’s biggest and best console and PC games like FIFA 20, Titanfall 2 and Need for Speed Heat, as well as titles from some of EA’s most popular franchises like Battlefield, Mass Effect, Skate, and The Sims.
- Exclusive in-game challenges and rewards, special member-only content, discounts on EA digital purchases for DLC, games, and more.
- Access to trials of games for up to 10 hours from best-loved franchises and top titles like Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21.
- Not only will EA Play titles be available on console and PC, this holiday, some of the best EA Play games will also be available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play on Android devices via the cloud at no additional charge.
Other than the holiday 2020 window given by Microsoft, a specific launch date for EA Play on Xbox Game Pass was not announced today.
Moreover, Microsoft will also be bringing the Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription and the Windows 10 Xbox App out of beta on September 17. This should mean that the currently discounted $4.99 price of the PC service will get upped to $9.99, mirroring the Xbox console variant.
Also, don't forget that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will be gaining cloud gaming support on September 15, letting them use their Android devices to game on the go. As mentioned above, some EA games will also be playable through the cloud once the service is up and running.
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