Microsoft has announced the four games Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members are getting with the Games with Gold program during the first month of 2021. In January, the company is making available $79.96 in-game value, including Little Nightmares and Dead Rising. Also, through Backwards Compatibility, you will be able to play The King of Fighters XIII and Breakdown.
On Xbox One and Xbox Series X (and Series S), throughout the entire month of January 2021, members will be able to download Little Nightmares ($19.99 ERP) for free. In addition, from January 16 through February 15, Dead Rising ($19.99 ERP) will be available at no extra cost.
On Xbox 360, The King of Fighters XIII ($29.99 ERP) will be free until January 15. Finally, on January 16 and through the end of the month, Breakdown ($9.99 ERP) will also be available for free.
You can also see the December 2020 games here.
Xbox Live Gold vs. Game Pass Ultimate
An Xbox Live Gold membership gives you exclusive access to free games through the “Games with Gold” program every month. Also, the subscription gives you full access to online gaming and game discounts. If you are not a subscriber, you can always find good deals at the Microsoft Store.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a monthly subscription service that includes the same benefits as the Xbox Live Gold membership. However, you also get unlimited access to download and play over 100 high-quality games on your Xbox One or gaming PC. You can join the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate following this link.
Microsoft recently announced a new price increase on its Xbox Live Gold subscription twice as much as the PlayStation subscription (to $120 per year) on what seems to be a strategy to lure customers into switching to the Game Pass subscription. However, shortly after the announcement and customers complain, the company backtracked the hike and said that the pricing would continue to stay the same as before. Furthermore, the software giant is also working to make the Xbox network more accessible, like Sony and Nintendo, by ending the subscription requirement for freely available games (free-to-play) that you can play online with other remember.
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
Xbox Series X is the next-generation console from Microsoft that features AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures and 16GB of memory, offering 12 teraflops of processing power, allowing up to 4K resolution and up to 120fps gameplay. The Series X costs $499.99, and you can order it now at the Microsoft Store.
Alongside the Xbox Series X, Microsoft also offers the smaller Xbox Series S, a slightly less powerful version of the console targeted at 1080p and 1440p gaming. However, it plays next generations games, and it only costs $299.99. The console is available now, and you can order it at the Microsoft Store. If you cannot decide which one you should buy, this guide will help you determine the best console for you.
Since Microsoft has now shifted to the next generation of game consoles, it has already discontinued the Xbox One X and Xbox One All-Digital edition production. Production of the Xbox One S will continue, and you can order it from the Microsoft Store.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.