Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

‘Fallout 4’ and ‘The Division’ come to Xbox Game Pass, and that’s just the start

During Microsoft’s event at E3 2018, the company unveiled a new slate of games and features coming to its Xbox Game Pass service.

In June’s software update, Xbox Game Pass games will be receiving what Microsoft calls “Fast Start,” a method of using machine learning to figure out which parts of each game need to be downloaded first in order to get players into their games quicker than ever. How this will work in practice remains to be seen, but with the increased number of games hitting the Game Pass platform, narrowing the gap between download time and play would definitely be appreciated.

Two sets of games were announced at the Microsoft Event — first a few of games that are already hitting the Game Pass platform immediately, and a slate of upcoming titles Game Pass subscribers can look forward to in the coming year.

Those hitting Game Pass now include Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls Online, and The Division. All three will be available for Game Pass subscribers within hours, so keep an eye out if you picked up a subscription to enjoy some Sea of Thieves.

Microsoft unveiled a far longer list of games coming to the Game Pass platform, making it an even better deal for Windows and Xbox gamers. Subscribers will see Halo: The Master Chief Collection alongside Forza Horizon 4, Crackdown 3, AshenWarhammer: Vermintide 2, and Afterparty: XXX. And that’s in addition to Microsoft’s promise to include all first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on their respective release dates.

“In its first year, Xbox Game Pass has proven to be great for both gamers and game developers as an additive means to drive discovery and engagement of games,” said Xbox Game Pass engineering head Ashley Speicher. “The freedom to explore and play more great games is changing gaming habits in incredibly positive ways.”

The Xbox Game Pass service made a huge splash with the release of the highly anticipated Sea of Thieves. Microsoft offered access to the game on the same day as its release date for any new or current Xbox Game Pass subscribers, and has since grown alongside its list of current and upcoming games.

Jayce Wagner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A staff writer for the Computing section, Jayce covers a little bit of everything -- hardware, gaming, and occasionally VR.
3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this Independence Day weekend (July 4-7)
Fallout 3 key art featuring the protagonist wearing the iconic power armor.

It's Independence Day weekend, so you're probably looking for some games to play if you don't have to work this holiday weekend. If you're subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, the service offers plenty of games to choose from. This weekend, three titles from its catalog stand out as particularly fitting to play on this holiday weekend if you plan on spending more time on your Xbox or PC rather than outside with this time off.

The first is an indie game from Free Lives and Devolver Digital that satirizes the over-the-top, bombastic nature of both American patriotism and blockbuster movies. Next, there's a Fallout video game set around Washington, D.C., that you can check out if you're getting tired of playing Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. Finally, I'm recommending a baseball game that's on Xbox Game Pass for those who'd rather play a game themselves than watch one on TV.
Broforce

Read more
July’s Xbox Game Pass lineup is the best the service has offered in months
Key art for Neon White

Microsoft unveiled the batch of eight games that will come to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service over the course of the first half of July. It's a solid lineup featuring quite a few amazing indie games. In particular, Neon White is a standout because it's one of my favorite indie games of the 2020s, and it's finally coming to Xbox while launching straight into Microsoft's subscription service.

Neon White initially launched on other platforms in 2022 and was developed by Angel Matrix, a studio founded by Donut County's Ben Esposito. It's a first-person shooter but doesn't play like Doom or Call of Duty. Instead, players must play cards in order to use their weapons, which double as both attacks and platforming assists. That means Neon White ends up being more like a speedrunning-focused puzzle platformer rather than a traditional first-person shooter.

Read more
Xbox Game Pass’ new horror game is like a playable John Carpenter movie
A flesh monster appears in Still Wakes the Deep.

As someone who loves both gaming and cinema, I'm always excited when those two worlds connect. Sometimes that's with great film adaptations of games or vice versa, but I'm even more interested when I can feel the influence of cinema history in a game's DNA. Something like Until Dawn, for instance, calls back to the golden age of gory slasher flicks with memorable results. It's rewarding for me as a fan of both mediums, letting me draw direct connections between them.

I recently got that experience thanks to Still Wakes the Deep, a new horror game from developer The Chinese Room now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (it's also available on Xbox Game Pass right now). While it's a totally original title, it feels like a playable John Carpenter film. Think The Thing on an oil rig, but significantly more Scottish. While it doesn't fully live up to that pitch, its short runtime and immaculately gory vibes make it worth checking out.

Read more