Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
Heads up, this deal has expired. Want to create a deal alert for this item?
expiredtunabreath posted Dec 12, 2025 12:31 PM
expiredtunabreath posted Dec 12, 2025 12:31 PM

12-Month Xbox Game Pass Essential Membership

(Email Delivery)

$62

$75

17% off
Newegg
72 Comments 17,093 Views
Visit Newegg
Good Deal
Save
Share
Deal Details
Newegg has 12-Month Xbox Game Pass Essential Membership (Email Delivery) on sale for $74.99 - $13 when you apply promo code HAPPY628A in cart = $61.99.

Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for finding this deal.

Product Details:
  • 'Essential' replaces the previous 'Core' terminology.
  • Play a library of 50+ games like Fallout 76, Stardew Valley, Grounded, and more on any screen. Dive into legendary franchises
  • Download and play games on Xbox console, PC, and supported handhelds. Skip the download and stream games (including select games you own) on any eligible device, including mobile, tablet, TV, and VR headset
  • Join your friends to play, chat, and explore together with online console multiplayer
  • Get in-game benefits in the biggest games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Rainbow Six Siege. Enjoy discounts on games, partner benefits, and more
  • Play and earn up to $25 a year in the Store with Rewards.* Earn points when buying games and add-ons at the Store
  • Find your community with Xbox and play anywhere you want
  • Product is limited to US region activation/installation only, and is NOT eligible for Puerto Rico
  • Conversion information can be found here

Editor's Notes

Written by citan359 | Staff
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by tunabreath
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Newegg has 12-Month Xbox Game Pass Essential Membership (Email Delivery) on sale for $74.99 - $13 when you apply promo code HAPPY628A in cart = $61.99.

Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for finding this deal.

Product Details:
  • 'Essential' replaces the previous 'Core' terminology.
  • Play a library of 50+ games like Fallout 76, Stardew Valley, Grounded, and more on any screen. Dive into legendary franchises
  • Download and play games on Xbox console, PC, and supported handhelds. Skip the download and stream games (including select games you own) on any eligible device, including mobile, tablet, TV, and VR headset
  • Join your friends to play, chat, and explore together with online console multiplayer
  • Get in-game benefits in the biggest games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Rainbow Six Siege. Enjoy discounts on games, partner benefits, and more
  • Play and earn up to $25 a year in the Store with Rewards.* Earn points when buying games and add-ons at the Store
  • Find your community with Xbox and play anywhere you want
  • Product is limited to US region activation/installation only, and is NOT eligible for Puerto Rico
  • Conversion information can be found here

Editor's Notes

Written by citan359 | Staff
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by tunabreath

Community Voting

Deal Score
+46
Good Deal
Visit Newegg

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Top Comments

rhapsodicink
55 Posts
14 Reputation
This calculates out to $12.92 per month after to converting to Ultimate
ShrewdSnow237
431 Posts
38 Reputation
For those of us that are long-time Gold members, then Ultimate members used to topping up 3 years at a time for $150, this still feels bad
nurrburt
884 Posts
182 Reputation
You'll own nothing and you'll be happy

71 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Dec 12, 2025 07:27 PM
20 Posts
Joined Jun 2025
MagentaEducation252Dec 12, 2025 07:27 PM
20 Posts
Is this the best in awhile now? Miss the $5 a month days
Last edited by MagentaEducation252 December 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM.
Dec 12, 2025 07:49 PM
152 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
BrandonB7066Dec 12, 2025 07:49 PM
152 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
If they've got an Xbox account already they just need the code from this and they can add the time to their account. Word of warning, if they're subbed to ultimate and you want to apply this to one of the lower tiers you need to let that expire before redeeming this, otherwise it'll convert to GPU if they already have that on their account.
Appreciate you
Dec 12, 2025 07:58 PM
187 Posts
Joined Sep 2013
ethans_tankDec 12, 2025 07:58 PM
187 Posts
Can these be redeemed and stacked the years like before? I think back then was 3 yr max limit
1
Dec 12, 2025 08:19 PM
884 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
nurrburtDec 12, 2025 08:19 PM
884 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
Ok.. try/play for free on release and buy later on deep discount if you really feel strongly about it. Or don't.
Just buy it outright and "own" it. Why you feel the need to come in here and complain is beyond me.
If you think you "own" digital media from Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, etc. Well I've got a bridge you may be interested in.
It's true that you don't truly own digital media when you purchase a license. However, on Steam and GOG, for the overwhelming majority of games, you can back up the installers to physical media if you choose and run them offline. Steam even allows you 2 hours to demo/trial the games with a full refund if you don't want to keep it.

While owning DRM-free physical media is best, there are still layers of ownership that we're talking about here. Games Pass is among the worst and most anti-consumer, as once you stop paying the bill, you're completely cut off. With Steam/GOG, you pay for the license and get to use the product for at least as long as they reasonably exist.

The only real point where a rental service like this wins is if literally all you do is spend 8 hours + a day of playing throwaway games that can be completed in a few hours. If you go on to purchase games that you've essentially paid to trial, you have lost. If you continue to pay monthly for a game you could have purchased, you have lost. And I would argue the worst part is you are contributing to a system that subsidizes and encourages more developers to make low quality, throwaway games.
5
Dec 12, 2025 09:00 PM
37 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
CocksyDec 12, 2025 09:00 PM
37 Posts
Quote from MagentaCaption2804 :
Can anyone who already has Ultimate confirm what the conversion was after they redeemed? I'm seeing some say 3 months and others say 5.
Keen to know the conversion rate too; 3 months is around 40% which I have seen somewhere but isn't great, however 5 months is much better value!
Dec 12, 2025 09:29 PM
867 Posts
Joined Jul 2007
kabal57Dec 12, 2025 09:29 PM
867 Posts
Quote from nurrburt :
It's true that you don't truly own digital media when you purchase a license. However, on Steam and GOG, for the overwhelming majority of games, you can back up the installers to physical media if you choose and run them offline. Steam even allows you 2 hours to demo/trial the games with a full refund if you don't want to keep it.While owning DRM-free physical media is best, there are still layers of ownership that we're talking about here. Games Pass is among the worst and most anti-consumer, as once you stop paying the bill, you're completely cut off. With Steam/GOG, you pay for the license and get to use the product for at least as long as they reasonably exist.The only real point where a rental service like this wins is if literally all you do is spend 8 hours + a day of playing throwaway games that can be completed in a few hours. If you go on to purchase games that you've essentially paid to trial, you have lost. If you continue to pay monthly for a game you could have purchased, you have lost. And I would argue the worst part is you are contributing to a system that subsidizes and encourages more developers to make low quality, throwaway games.
You are applying your use case and beliefs to others. I don't think the service is anti consumer.. It's pro consumer. If I want a game I'll buy it. Most games I play I have no intention of playing again once I'm done with them. so yes that saves me $70 a pop.
The value really ramps up if you have a family or kids that play. Saves a ton of money.
Steam and gog provide different services so it's a different use case.
The low quality thing is not true either. It's not incentivizing devs to make "low quality throw away games" is complete nonsense, and there's zero proof that is the case. Not a single dev has ever said "yeah we just made this crap game for gamepass, the quality don't matter and we don't care"
If the game doesn't draw users and keep them engaged, they don't get info gamepass and don't get paid nearly as much.
The "system" exists to get more indie games into the hands of gamers and drive engagement. Not "throw away titles"
Case in point, Expedition 33. Smashing success, won every award, tons of engagement, made for $10m and "gamepass fodder"
Pal world is another. Vampire survivors. Balatro, and on and on
That low quality nonsense is a Sony fanboy taking point really.
just because a studio or dev changed full price for a game doesn't make it high quality. there's tons of crap games that are full price and not in gamepass, so that argument doesn't hold water.
also with ps plus you lose all your "free" games once that expires too.
it's the nature of subscriptions.. I don't see people who sub to Netflix complain they don't own the DVDs of what they watch. or the Spotify subs who don't own the CDs they listen to digitally.. why a different standard is applied here is beyond me.
6
Dec 12, 2025 09:38 PM
121 Posts
Joined Sep 2013
mezzy316Dec 12, 2025 09:38 PM
121 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
So the Xbox site says it converts to 40% for ultimate. If I'm correct that's 4.8 months of ultimate.. Which ain't bad
Keep in mind, that is only if you are not currently a Game Pass Ultimate member. If you are, then it only adds 91 days.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Dec 12, 2025 11:01 PM
884 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
nurrburtDec 12, 2025 11:01 PM
884 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
You are applying your use case and beliefs to others. I don't think the service is anti consumer.. It's pro consumer. If I want a game I'll buy it. Most games I play I have no intention of playing again once I'm done with them. so yes that saves me $70 a pop.
The value really ramps up if you have a family or kids that play. Saves a ton of money.
Steam and gog provide different services so it's a different use case.
The low quality thing is not true either. It's not incentivizing devs to make "low quality throw away games" is complete nonsense, and there's zero proof that is the case. Not a single dev has ever said "yeah we just made this crap game for gamepass, the quality don't matter and we don't care"
If the game doesn't draw users and keep them engaged, they don't get info gamepass and don't get paid nearly as much.
The "system" exists to get more indie games into the hands of gamers and drive engagement. Not "throw away titles"
Case in point, Expedition 33. Smashing success, won every award, tons of engagement, made for $10m and "gamepass fodder"
Pal world is another. Vampire survivors. Balatro, and on and on
That low quality nonsense is a Sony fanboy taking point really.
just because a studio or dev changed full price for a game doesn't make it high quality. there's tons of crap games that are full price and not in gamepass, so that argument doesn't hold water.
also with ps plus you lose all your "free" games once that expires too.
it's the nature of subscriptions.. I don't see people who sub to Netflix complain they don't own the DVDs of what they watch. or the Spotify subs who don't own the CDs they listen to digitally.. why a different standard is applied here is beyond me.
There isn't a different standard, it's the same deal with Netflix and Spotify. It's all anti-consumer garbage meant to ensure people pay forever on things they could actually own instead. You are going to bat for corporations that would force you to pay monthly for air if they could get away with it. They have already begun forcing people to pay monthly for certain features of things they already own like vehicles.

Yes, the nature of subscriptions; you own nothing and you'll be happy. Or will you? What do you do when you suddenly can't afford their subscription prices?

By the way, all of those great games you mentioned can be purchased instead. In fact, you'll actually be supporting the developer/publisher by buying their game, so they might actually go on to continue and make more great games. They make practically nothing after MS pays them for listing the game - just like with Spotify, the artist gets pennies for plays. Once again, you incentivize low quality games because devs can make a quick buck by putting minimal effort into a product and get a minimum payout by MS, then they can just let the game die and pump out the next slop. Most of the games on games pass are shovelware or ancient at this point and it's only going to get worse.
1
3
Dec 13, 2025 12:33 AM
5,340 Posts
Joined Jan 2008
rbradenDec 13, 2025 12:33 AM
5,340 Posts
Quote from nurrburt :
You'll own nothing and you'll be happy
For $150 for 3 years, I was happy. Less so now.
Dec 13, 2025 12:41 AM
884 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
nurrburtDec 13, 2025 12:41 AM
884 Posts
Quote from rbraden :
For $150 for 3 years, I was happy. Less so now.
Enshitification happens gradually.

They lure you in with freebies and cheap deals, by the time you realize what has happened you'll have no other options.
2
Dec 13, 2025 01:00 AM
5,340 Posts
Joined Jan 2008
rbradenDec 13, 2025 01:00 AM
5,340 Posts
Quote from nurrburt :
Enshitification happens gradually.They lure you in with freebies and cheap deals, by the time you realize what has happened you'll have no other options.
Soooo true! I'm certainly happy to partake in things while the VC money is funding it all though. I have almost 2 years left on my current sub. Will consider re-upping when there's a great deal (hopefully).
Dec 13, 2025 01:28 AM
867 Posts
Joined Jul 2007
kabal57Dec 13, 2025 01:28 AM
867 Posts
Quote from nurrburt :
There isn't a different standard, it's the same deal with Netflix and Spotify. It's all anti-consumer garbage meant to ensure people pay forever on things they could actually own instead. You are going to bat for corporations that would force you to pay monthly for air if they could get away with it. They have already begun forcing people to pay monthly for certain features of things they already own like vehicles.

Yes, the nature of subscriptions; you own nothing and you'll be happy. Or will you? What do you do when you suddenly can't afford their subscription prices?

By the way, all of those great games you mentioned can be purchased instead. In fact, you'll actually be supporting the developer/publisher by buying their game, so they might actually go on to continue and make more great games. They make practically nothing after MS pays them for listing the game - just like with Spotify, the artist gets pennies for plays. Once again, you incentivize low quality games because devs can make a quick buck by putting minimal effort into a product and get a minimum payout by MS, then they can just let the game die and pump out the next slop. Most of the games on games pass are shovelware or ancient at this point and it's only going to get worse.
or maybe, just MAYBE it's a convenience trade off for people who don't WANT to keep whatever it is and just want the convenience they offer. It's pretty simple, subscriptions don't preclude anyone from buying anything.. but people act like it does. It's not an either/or.
I buy what I want and "rent" what I want from where I want.
Did you have the same complaint with blockbuster? or would you buy every movie you watched during the vhs days?
I doubt that was the case, I'm sure you went there plenty assuming you're old enough. If not, than you don't know what you're talking about. This practice has gone on forever, it's just digital now and more convenient. I didn't buy every nintendo game I rented in the 80s and 90s, I didn't buy every movie I rented from blockbuster or hollywood.
Your premise is way off base and your definition of anti consumer is wildly inaccurate.

and to your purcahse "support the devs" idea, it's the same crap, another sony fanboy talking point. the devs get paid plenty for putting games in gamepass, if they didn't they wouldn't do it.
It's SONY and square who screw devs out of $$ for games. I guarantee devs on xbox don't make pennies on the dollar. They negotiate a deal up front and if both sides are happy, what's the problem? you know better than the people who signed the deal and know what's better for them than they do?
Last edited by kabal57 December 12, 2025 at 06:30 PM.
5
Dec 13, 2025 01:45 AM
884 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
nurrburtDec 13, 2025 01:45 AM
884 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
or maybe, just MAYBE it's a convenience trade off for people who don't WANT to keep whatever it is and just want the convenience they offer. It's pretty simple, subscriptions don't preclude anyone from buying anything.. but people act like it does. It's not an either/or.
I buy what I want and "rent" what I want from where I want.
Did you have the same complaint with blockbuster? or would you buy every movie you watched during the vhs days?
I doubt that was the case, I'm sure you went there plenty assuming you're old enough. If not, than you don't know what you're talking about. This practice has gone on forever, it's just digital now and more convenient. I didn't buy every nintendo game I rented in the 80s and 90s, I didn't buy every movie I rented from blockbuster or hollywood.
Your premise is way off base and your definition of anti consumer is wildly inaccurate.

and to your purcahse "support the devs" idea, it's the same crap, another sony fanboy talking point. the devs get paid plenty for putting games in gamepass, if they didn't they wouldn't do it.
It's SONY and square who screw devs out of $$ for games. I guarantee devs on xbox don't make pennies on the dollar. They negotiate a deal up front and if both sides are happy, what's the problem? you know better than the people who signed the deal and know what's better for them than they do?
Blockbuster was just the start. To be fair, nobody knew what a hellscape capitalism would become back in the 90s.

Convenience. That's the word of the day. Convenience is what consumerists, especially in the US would trade anything for. US citizens are currently trading their rights away for convenience, but that's another topic and I know SD staff gets delete-happy when politics are involved.

Convenience is just another one of those things the corporations like to dangle in front of you to get your hooked. Once you're hooked and all the competition is gone, they give you the ol' rugpull and suddenly you're paying more for less. Look at Amazon, what happened to the "2 day guarantee" with Prime? Did you forget already?

I think it's hilarious that everything I'm saying seems to be this mythical "Sony" talking point. I haven't owned a Sony product since Playstation 2 lmao. Sony wants to do the same thing these other companies are doing to you. It seems like one of these companies has got you by the balls. Hook line and sinker. My hope is that they're paying you.
3
Dec 13, 2025 02:44 AM
96 Posts
Joined Feb 2015
p0diabl0Dec 13, 2025 02:44 AM
96 Posts
I got this same deal a week or so ago for $60 and used it today. Converted to Premium which required a dollar for fourteen days, that extended it out to September 27 2026.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Dec 13, 2025 03:53 AM
164 Posts
Joined May 2018
Billabong27Dec 13, 2025 03:53 AM
164 Posts
Quote from kabal57 :
So the Xbox site says it converts to 40% for ultimate. If I'm correct that's 4.8 months of ultimate.. Which ain't bad
You have to turn off auto renewal, wait until your ultimate expires, add the time as core, then convert to ultimate. I did this a year or two ago. Not sure why Xbox can't just convert it to ultimate at the same rate for current subscribers v. upgrades other than just being shitty. This and PS+ only giving their BF discounts to new/upgrading subscribers is really farking annoying.

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Popular Deals

Trending Deals