Game Pass on PC is in a rough spot and it's not improving

[Kickfister]

Game Pass on PC has had some rather serious issues since its inception and Microsoft hasn't really made any efforts to improve it. For any given release, there's a decent chance it will suffer from any/all of these issues:

• Reduced feature set compared to every other storefront (this can include available settings or even content)
• Out of date builds with other storefronts
• Separate multiplayer pool (usually to facilitate crossplay with xbox, but that's incredibly not worth it if you can't play with the bulk of PC players imo)
• Unique bugs that are often longstanding, usually as a result of the above points
• Reduced mod compatibility, even when mod support is allowed (also it's possible for mod support to not be allowed...)

It's getting to the point where I simply assume that a multiplayer game coming to Game Pass is gonna be more or less worthless to me. Same with a game I might want to mod. If a game is shipping with DLSS, there's a decent chance it's not gonna be in the game pass version. Microsoft has allowed Game Pass on PC to feel like a second class platform. I have been conditioned to expect the worst version of a game there, and to only stick around because the game list is impressive and occasionally a good version of a game is available there.

The recent game that's motivating this post is Palworld. That game suffers from the first 3 bullet points on PC. It lacks the dedicated servers of the Steam release, is missing DLSS support (it's greyed out), and is on an outdated build...on day 1 no less.

Other games off the top of my head I've experienced issues in: Jusant (missing DLSS), The Ascent (behind on patches, was missing DLSS and RT), Gunfire Reborn (huge content gap, separate mutiplayer pool), Warhammer 40k Darktide (separate matchmaking pool, outdated patches).

Maybe I just miss it, but I don't feel that this gets complained about enough. PC Game Pass is honestly a trainwreck of a service, especially once you factor in the various issues you can run into with the Xbox app (I see plenty of complaining about this aspect however). It's insane to condition your customers to expect a second class experience and be surprised when things work how you'd hope. I really feel that Microsoft should have some kind of parity clause for games in Game Pass. We're on PC, we should always be able to play with non-game pass PC players, we should always have access to PC features available in other versions, and we should have patch parity with other versions of the game. The current Game Pass service feels like Microsoft still has ambitions of pushing the Xbox ecosystem on the PC as a separate controlled platform and not as just another PC storefront. It's incredibly frustrating as someone who really wants to love the service on PC, but as it is, it's the worst way to play games on PC and it's not even close.

 

[nsilvias]

Out of date builds with other storefronts

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Quantum Break on Game Pass PC has the broken lighting

 

[Hella]

I just resubbed to Gamepass and discovered that it doesn't continue a download when my computer goes to sleep. Only storefront to do that.

The Microsoft Store/Game Pass is the definitive second-class experience.

 

[blueredandgold]

I suppose I've always treated GamePass on PC as my defacto Xbox console. I was regularly posting in the very old mega thread about my persistent issues, it's a damn shame.

Now, with what's happened in recent months plus Xbox's very vocal stance on the platform and its place overall, I think I am like a moth back to the flame a little.

 

[Becks']

The main problem with the Xbox app is that it is using Microsoft Store as its backend. And that platform has been shit ever since they made it 12 years ago.

 

[Lampa]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

 

[King Tubby]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

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If it's a consistent issue that keeps the Game Pass versions of the games behind the Steam versions, why wouldn't that be on Microsoft? It's on their policy or their certification process or whatever. Maybe there's a good reason for it, but in the end it results in having a worse experience.

I agree with most of the points in the OP, personally the most disappointing is how difficult and inconsistent it can be to mod Game Pass titles. It's still been nice to have the subscription for the wide selection of games including a few real gems this past year like Hi Fi and Lies of P but if the price is going up I might just decide to buy those few gems myself and forego the sub.

 

[Bitterman]

Updates take longer to push on gamepass than other versions. They do eventually get updated tho.

Other than that I guess mod suppot would be my gripe though I am not really big into mods. Looked into FNV mods and seems like gamepass version doesn't support it so that was a bummer.

Overall very happy with gamepass pc. It's got a great library and that's what really matters to me.

 

[T0kenAussie]

The main problem with the Xbox app is that it is using Microsoft Store as its backend. And that platform has been shit ever since they made it 12 years ago.

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Internal politics between team Xbox and team windows imo and it's silly

I wonder with battle.net if they will take a second swing at the stores backend

 

[Kickfister]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

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It's not their fault for it happening, but it is their fault for allowing it. And to an extent, it's kinda their fault because afaik they require xbox game services. That means it's up to developers to implement a crossplay solution that works with that. But in most cases, you get a separate matchmaking pool. And to have crossplay with xbox, you now lock the PC version into patch parity with consoles, which is how you get separate builds on PC. And because it's a smaller market, that build gets waaaaay less priority and often has glaring issues.

The problem is that the majority would not choose to have crossplay with xbox if those are the constraints. So in a sense, the problem is the tools Microsoft forces on developers. The only time it works out well is when a game is full crossplay for everyone, because then the developer has built the infrastructure and content release schedule around those limitations.

 

[Bob White]

Mods are the reason I'll never get gamepass again. How you going to buy all these great rpg studios and have shit mod support?

 

[Spoit]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

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IIRC it has to go through a xbox style cert process, as opposed to how you can basically push patches out to steam whenever

 

[Witchcraft]

This has sadly been the case forever and they don't seem to care enough to improve anything.

 

[Serene]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

Click to shrink...

The out-of-date issue is absolutely on MS because games on the Xbox app have to go through the same cert process as console releases, which is much slower than devs just being able to upload new builds on Steam or EGS.

 

[Kickfister]

The out-of-date issue is absolutely on MS because games on the Xbox app have to go through the same cert process as console releases, which is much slower than devs just being able to upload new builds on Steam or EGS.

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Honestly what makes this even funnier is that one of the issues with Palworld on Game Pass is that xbox button prompts don't work. What is the cert process even for at that point?

 

[Shirkelton]

It's really frustrating how behind it is in so many aspects.

 

[MaxVarEmreis]

Updates take longer to push on gamepass than other versions. They do eventually get updated tho.

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Not always.
Control didn't have last update with better DLSS if I remember correctly.
Forspoken didn't receive last update with FSR 3 (and DLC don't have Achievements)
Not something that occurs frequently, but nevertheless.

 

[reksveks]

Enforcing parity with other storefronts is not going to work with their current marketshare. It's too much work for devs and probably not worth the ROI.

 

[Wesker]

The only games I played on PC when I had my GPU subscription were Forza Horizon 5 and Sea of Thieves because of the bad store / app experience. Oh, and Deathloop.

I was contemplating whether to resub to GP PC for Hellblade II and Indy but I'd rather buy those games on Steam.

 

[chrominance]

I feel like increasingly, PC Game Pass is useful for two things: playing Microsoft first-party games, and demoing other games to decide if they're worth the purchase on Steam. Palworld is the latest example of the latter, and the last few games I've played on Game Pass I pretty much intend to buy on Steam at some point (though I'm actually less sure about Starfield now). Potion Craft is one that was going to disappear from Game Pass soon and I realized I'd rather just get it on Steam then try to rush through it.

If you're trying to make PC Game Pass a primary method of playing PC games, you're going to run into issues eventually, even setting aside the QOL experience of the Xbox app on Windows/Windows Store.

 

[Qudi]

Separate multiplayer pool (usually to facilitate crossplay with xbox, but that's incredibly not worth it if you can't play with the bulk of PC players imo)

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Literally couldnt play with friends on Steam for Darktide and its been so long that no one cares about the game anyways to bother checking. Has been the case for other titles.

Imo the worst storefront by a long shot. Also is the storage issue still a thing? Had to dedicate an SSD just for the Xbox app to mitigate that.

Add the inability to change the game's language to the list.
If there's no in-game option to change the language, you either hope that there's a config file you can edit, or you're stuck with your OS language.

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I cant comprehend how thats STILL a thing.

 

[Edward850]

The out-of-date issue is absolutely on MS because games on the Xbox app have to go through the same cert process as console releases, which is much slower than devs just being able to upload new builds on Steam or EGS.

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The Xbox certification process is one of the most straightforward I've personally used. It is not the problem.

 

[colui]

Add the inability to change the game's language to the list.
If there's no in-game option to change the language, you either hope that there's a config file you can edit, or you're stuck with your OS language.

 

[guybrushfreeman]

The PC experience is so bad. I was so happy when my sub finally ended and I could get as far away from it as possible. Can't imagine I'll ever resub again. Crazy how many years so many of the bugs have been around unfixed. Achievements in the wrong language, broken installs you can't remove without reinstalling windows. Microsoft doesn't seem very interested in improving it sadly

 

[Kickfister]

Enforcing parity with other storefronts is not going to work with their current marketshare. It's too much work for devs and probably not worth the ROI.

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Eh, idk if this is true. Microsoft is handing these developers a big bag of money. The relationship is a bit different. If it was just about releasing the games on the Microsoft Store I'd agree, but most of these games are only coming to that platform because of the Game Pass deal. It's impossible to say for sure of course, I just think Game Pass has reached a level of success where Microsoft can be more strict with their requirements.

Or perhaps alternatively, Microsoft needs to make better tools to enable developers to release better game pass versions. Without a doubt there is something about the requirements for releasing a game on the microsoft store/game pass that is causing them to often be inferior. It's not a problem that other storefronts have.

The only games I played on PC when I had my GPU subscription were Forza Horizon 5 and Sea of Thieves because of the bad store / app experience. Oh, and Deathloop.

I was contemplating whether to resub to GP PC for Hellblade II and Indy but I'd rather buy those games on Steam.

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FWIW the service is great for the vast majority of first party games. Though yes the Xbox app itself is bad (more like it's decent until it breaks and then it has the potential for being a OS reinstallation disaster).

 

[Geode]

Devs are making bank though. They release the game on GamePass PC a version or two behind, gamers try it, like it, see they're behind in patches and crossplay, then go buy the game on Steam. Win win for Devs, gamepass money and a sale on Steam.

 

[Kickfister]

Devs are making bank though. They release the game on GamePass PC a version or two behind, gamers try it, like it, see they're behind in patches and crossplay, then go buy the game on Steam. Win win for Devs, gamepass money and a sale on Steam.

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I've legitimately done this so many times. I'm paying for a demo service.

 

[horkrux]

Some of this is not MS' fault, and I struggle to see how they should help improve it.
It's on the devs to keep the game up to date, and it's also on the devs to implement crossplay. Even if cert takes time, the patch should roll out eventually unless you never cared to work on it in the first place.

 

[reksveks]

The Xbox certification process is one of the most straightforward I've personally used. It is not the problem.

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It is like we are reading in problems slightly uninformed.

Eh, idk if this is true. Microsoft is handing these developers a big bag of money. The relationship is a bit different. If it was just about releasing the games on the Microsoft Store I'd agree, but most of these games are only coming to that platform because of the Game Pass deal. It's impossible to say for sure of course, I just think Game Pass has reached a level of success where Microsoft can be more strict with their requirements.

Or perhaps alternatively, Microsoft needs to make better tools to enable developers to release better game pass versions. Without a doubt there is something about the requirements for releasing a game on the microsoft store/game pass that is causing them to often be inferior. It's not a problem that other storefronts have.

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I don't think you can have two policies, one for GP games and one for all games so you are stuck with one and therefore imo it has to be the one that doesn't enforce parity.

Epic did also have issues with it being behind steam iirc.

I agree with the fact that MS needs to make it easier to ensure there is parity, be that better tools and a bigger certification team but that is going to be different to enforcing it. It might reduce the number of examples of MS store being behind.

I think this largely is a ROI issue for devs personally.

 

[Geode]

The out-of-date issue is absolutely on MS because games on the Xbox app have to go through the same cert process as console releases, which is much slower than devs just being able to upload new builds on Steam or EGS.

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What is Steam's and EGS's certification process? I mean they can't verify every game works on every PC since there are so many different builds out there.

 

[ryushe]

I feel like increasingly, PC Game Pass is useful for two things: playing Microsoft first-party games, and demoing other games to decide if they're worth the purchase on Steam.

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This exactly how I use Gamepass on PC, especially now that I got xCloud working great on my Steamdeck. I went through all of Like a Dragon Gaiden a couple of weeks ago and I was very happy I was able to play it via gamepass.

That said, I definitely understand not everyone uses it that way.

 

[Super]

I just prefer to buy the games on Steam, be able to use mods and not have an SSD nuked like last time.

 

[reksveks]

What is Steam's and EGS's certification process? I mean they can't verify every game works on every PC since there are so many different builds out there.

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That's steam

Review Process (Steamworks Documentation)

partner.steamgames.com

That's epics

https://dev.epicgames.com/docs/epic...stribution-requirements/requirements-overview

I will try and find MS's one.

 

[TheRaidenPT]

I'm still waiting for that revamp they said they would do to the store.

Game Pass PC app gives me Games for Windows LIVE type of experience right now.....

 

[Patitoloco]

What is Steam's and EGS's certification process? I mean they can't verify every game works on every PC since there are so many different builds out there.

Click to shrink...

There is none for patches. You can update your branches with whatever you want whenever you want.

 

[ThereAreFourNaan]

Yeah I've been banging this drum for 4 years at this point. It is what it is. If I didn't simultaneously have access to a console for a much better experience on the same sub and have a partner sharing my sub via that console, I would definitely not be subscribed.

 

[Ratuso]

It's so annoying when a game has fewer features than the Steam version. They need to require parity or something.

 

[behOemoth]

3 out of 5 of your points are not on Microsoft, though? What does Microsoft have to do with games not being up to date with other store fronts, they don't make the updates?

But the reduced mod capability is unfortunate, I agree.

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You can require publishers and anyone who wants to sell something in the store to maintain parity. Remember that whole legal battle over Playstation requirements that fans used to call each other names?

 

[mordecaii83]

I'm with the OP 100%, I signed up for 3 years of game pass but have barely used it, a large number of the games I've tried have had some issue vs the Steam version so I just gave up and buy anything I'm interested in on Steam. I've seen version specific bugs, features missing vs other PC versions, locked files so no mods, and the inability to play with other PC versions. Even if the game is on par with the Steam version on a technical level, I still have to deal with the storefront being flaky and missing everything that makes Steam great.

 

[Spinluck]

The main problem with the Xbox app is that it is using Microsoft Store as its backend. And that platform has been shit ever since they made it 12 years ago.

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This is truly my biggest gripe with it.

Other than that I've been lucky enough to not run into issues. But yeah, the backbone of the app is just trash.

 

[Issen]

Enforcing parity with other storefronts is not going to work with their current marketshare. It's too much work for devs and probably not worth the ROI.

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Then again, this is an excellent way for the market share to not improve.

 

[Kickfister]

I think this largely is a ROI issue for devs personally.

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I do agree with this much. I know developers don't want to deliver shoddy software, but you have to prioritize certain issues and low impact platforms suffer. But that's why I really think it's on Microsoft to have a certain set of standards for software on the platform (and really those standards should apply to all games on the Microsoft Store and not just the game pass ones). If it reduces the amount of software on the platform, that's honestly good for consumers and it's Microsoft's problem for not offering enough. The way they do it now will be bad for them in the long term. With the service as it is now, it's only successful because there isn't a PC competitor. If Steam or even Epic had a subscription service, anybody not explicitly invested in the Xbox specific stuff would leave.

Microsoft absolutely has the coffers to be a loss leader here. There's simply no way developers wouldn't create microsoft store versions of games at a higher quality level to get the game pass bag if it's big enough. Let's make no mistake, without game pass, the lax standards of the Microsoft Store still caused near 0 developers to make a version there. They're entirely there for the game pass money right now, it's up to Microsoft to set the requirements and pay enough to justify it for the devs.

 

[Gavin Robertson]

Yeah, I felt a little annoyed when I recently reupped and realized there isn't a way to get the full experience on console only. At this point I'm paying for a service that is not fit for purpose on PC at times. As others have said, it's a glorified demo service for a great many games.

 

[Windu]

Seems like basically any game that is released outside of Steam. Devs aren't going to prioritize other platforms on PC.

 

[CheapJi]

I bought a series s just for gamepass even though my pc is more powerful than a series x just so I could forget about their abysmal launcher.

 

[Decarb]

Other games off the top of my head I've experienced issues in: Jusant (missing DLSS), The Ascent (behind on patches, was missing DLSS and RT), Gunfire Reborn (huge content gap, separate mutiplayer pool), Warhammer 40k Darktide (separate matchmaking pool, outdated patches).

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Darktide has separate matchmaking pool? I was wondering why I couldn't find people around my region.

 

[NaDannMaGoGo]

Microsoft's store and gaming failures on their own and god-damned operating system are truly something to behold.

 

[Copilot]

Looks like Microsoft is not even trying on their Xbox app.

 

[jungius]

I had forza horizon broke on my pc and cant get it fixed by reinstalling the game and deleting all files related to the game, in the end fresh windows install that make the game playable again :/

my 60 hour save file of rune factory 4 also gone even though they said they have cloud save, I end up leaving the game altogether

 

[Jahranimo]

Eh I find my use for the service and the games I play on it are perfectly fine. I don't have an interest in a Xbox Series console and have made the decision to invest in my PC for their 1st party titles when they release. I don't play the games you mention OP but the ones I have played (Exoprimal, Powerwash Simulator, Forza Horizon, Gears 5) are flawless for me.

Starfield was decent enough outside of the usual hub areas being a problem like New Atlantis but otherwise that's been smooth for me with no game breaking bugs.