These days there are a ton of different ways to access the games you love thanks to the wide variety of options out there, but we believe these are the best gaming subscription services you can get for your money. Or the lack thereof, depending on which one you choose.
Since there are more than a few options, we’ve grabbed the best gaming services and put them together in this list. They are not arranged in any particular order. These are the best options if you like gaming. And while we probably all have our favorites, they all have something great to offer. I have used and enjoyed them all. So I can personally say that no matter which one you go with, there is bound to be something for you.
That said, you may not feel it’s the right service for you after you try it. Fortunately, you have other good options if that’s the case.
Best gaming subscription services
Monthly costs | Service costs (per item) | |
EA Play | $4.99/$14.99 | N/A |
Ubisoft+ | $14.99/$17.99 | N/A |
PlayStation Plus | $9.99/$14.99/$17.99 | N/A |
Xbox game pass | $9.99/$14.99 | N/A |
Amazon Luna | From $5.99 | N/A |
NVIDIA GeForce NOW | Free/$9.99/$19.99 | N/A |
Prime gaming | $14.99 | N/A |
EA Play
- Price: $4.99 / $14.99
- To register: EA Play
The start of this list of best gaming services is EA Play, which comes in two different flavors: EA Play and EA Play Pro.
The former is clearly the cheaper option and the best option for some based on what they want to get out of a service. However, it also comes with fewer features. So that’s something that people want to weigh up.
For that $5 a month, you get 10 hours of trials of upcoming games, as well as unlimited access to a collection of games in the vault.
What you don’t get is unlimited access to the latest games, which you’ll only find in the Pro plan. This is the better option if you want the latest EA games like Need For Speed Unleashed, FIFA 23, and upcoming titles like Wild Hearts and the Dead Space remake.
You also waive the 10-hour trial period of upcoming games and replace it with access to the full game with no time limit. Which one is right for you depends on whether you really like EA games or not, and whether you care if they are the very latest titles.
Also worth noting is that EA Play comes with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. So if you subscribe to that, you don’t have to pay for EA Play either.
Overall, EA Play is one of the best gaming subscription services, but it’s definitely better if you like EA games.
Ubisoft+
Think of this as exactly the same as EA Play, but for Ubisoft titles. There are, of course, some differences that make this a potentially better service from a value standpoint.
The service offers two levels. PC access and multiple access. With PC access, Ubisoft+ is only available on PC. But if you opt for the multi-access plan, the service is also available through Amazon Luna. This way you can also play games in the cloud and not just locally on your PC. A pretty decent perk if you’re really into Ubisoft games. In addition, many Ubisoft titles support cross-progression. Which means if you play them through Luna, your progress will carry over to when you play games locally on PC.
Ubisoft also currently has a deal where you get either tier for $1 a month for the first month. Hopefully Ubisoft+ will make its way to consoles one day. But for now, you are limited to using it on PC or with Amazon Luna on Luna-compatible devices.
PlayStation Plus
Not only is PlayStation Plus one of the best gaming subscription services out there, but it’s almost an absolute necessity if you want to get the most out of your PS5 or PS4 console.
For starters, you’ll need to subscribe to PlayStation Plus if you want online multiplayer access. Unless otherwise stated by the game itself. For example, Final Fantasy XIV does not require PlayStation Plus. However, it does have its own subscription.
Not only do you get multiplayer access to most games, but you also get special discounts on games (including games that are already on sale) that you can’t get if you’re not a member. Plus, you get to claim three free games per month once Sony makes its three picks available.
All this comes with Sony’s new basic plan called PlayStation Plus Essential. However, if you switch to the Extra subscription, you get all of the above, plus Ubisoft+ Classics (this is a curated list of Ubisoft games, not everything you get with a real Ubisoft+ subscription), and access to the game catalog. This last added benefit is the big one here. As Sony continues to add more and more games to this list. Including several from PS5.
Finally, there’s the Premium tier which adds things like the Classics catalog and game streaming. So there’s a lot to offer with PlayStation Plus and three subscription plans to choose from. But they are all a great option. It just depends on what you want.
Xbox game pass
While I personally like my PS5 more than the Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Pass is hands down the best value in gaming right now. I love PlayStation Plus. But there’s no denying that Game Pass is the better value. Microsoft adds new games to the catalog monthly, and as with PS Plus, some of these rotate.
This helps keep things fresh. What it offers that PS Plus doesn’t is day 1 titles. Sony may eventually change this, but currently PS Plus won’t give you access to launch games. However, Xbox Game Pass doesn’t limit you in this way. So when Starfield launches, you should be able to play it through Game Pass.
And if you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you might even be able to play games in the cloud. PlayStation Plus also offers cloud gaming, but you to have to play on your console. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s cloud gaming can be played on PC, console, Android devices, and cloud-specific handhelds like the Logitech G Cloud. This way you have more screens to play your games on.
It’s worth noting that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also gives you access to Xbox Gold. All around this is a great subscription service to have. Even if you are already a PlayStation Plus subscriber.
Amazon Luna
Amazon Luna is another big name in the cloud gaming space and it’s a great option if you like the convenience of cloud gaming. You may not feel like shelling out the cash on a console or a gaming PC, but enjoy gaming once in a while. Luna is perfect for players in this category as it has a relatively low barrier to entry in terms of cost, and new titles are added every month.
One thing to be aware of is that Luna is divided into channels. Some games are available on one channel while others are available on another channel. Similar to TV shows and their respective networks.
This is important because Ubisoft+ is available on Luna. But it’s also a very separate channel, and you have to pay for it if you want to access it. Fortunately, this is part of the multi-access plan that Ubisoft+ offers.
Luna is available on PC, Android, compatible Fire TV devices and through Samsung TVs using the Samsung Gaming Hub app. That is to say that it is quite widely available no matter what screen you want to play on.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Personally, I think GeForce NOW is the best option for cloud gaming. That is if all you want is cloud gaming with decent performance and plenty of quality features. Unlike Game Pass and Luna, you have to own the games you want to play in the cloud. But that’s easy enough to do if you create a Steam or Epic Games account.
There are even some games from GOG available on the service, such as Cyberpunk 2077. The reason why I think it’s the best option for cloud gaming is because you get the best quality here. Yes, it is the most expensive month. But you get what you pay for. And for the $20 per month (if you opt for the Ultimate plan), you get access to NVIDIA RTX 4080 SuperPods for the best possible quality and performance of your game streaming.
This includes NVIDIA Reflex, support for ultra-wide monitors, performance based on an RTX 4080 GPU and up to 240 frames per second. You have to play on PC with the PC app to get these features. But you can also access GeForce NOW on Android devices so you can play on the go, as well as on Chromebooks, Mac and more. This makes this one of the best gaming subscription services out there across the board.
Prime gaming
Prime Gaming is an excellent gaming subscription service for any gamer. And the best part is that Prime Gaming is part of Amazon Prime. So you don’t actually pay a separate price for the Prime Gaming subscription itself. If you’re already subscribed to Prime and you do play games, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not signing up for Prime Gaming since it’s free.
This will give you access to free games and free in-game loot every month for a variety of different games. Amazon trades things in and out for both the games and in-game loot. So you want to keep an eye on what’s available. I suggest coming back once a week or every other week. This way you always know if there is something you want. Overall, Prime Gaming is one of the best gaming subscription services out there because it’s not just for gaming. Since it’s part of Prime, it comes with a lot of other stuff.