Skip to main content

GameStop ‘PowerPass’ program gives you unlimited access to used games

GameStop storefront from outside.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Digital game sales have been on the rise in recent years, threatening traditional retail stores which thrive on selling physical discs and cartridges, but the latest program from GameStop could be enough to get players back in stores. “PowerPass” is a subscription service offering unlimited access to used games, and you won’t have to break the bank to sign up.

GameStop’s PowerPass is offered as a six-month subscription for $60, and allows customers to choose any pre-owned game they want to take home and play, regardless of how new or old it happens to be. When they’re done, they just have to return the game to their store and choose a new one, and at the end of the term, they keep their last game. It’s similar to the rental service GameFly, but it’s quite a bit cheaper and the free game promotion should allow players to get great deals — just choose a more expensive used game right before your subscription ends.

A leaked advertisement for the program stated that you must be a PowerUp Rewards member to qualify, but you do not need to have a paid “Pro” account. We do, however, highly recommend such an account, as it includes a free subscription to Game Informer. GameStop also recently introduced its “Elite” PowerUp Rewards program, which offers additional credit on used games and more rewards points.

A GameStop representative confirmed all of the advertisement’s information to Digital Trends, and added that customers will be able to gift a PowerPass subscription to a friend, as well. You will be able to return your games to any GameStop location, provided that you show the coupon code you used for your original rental.

GameStop’s move should make it more competitive against both Amazon and Best Buy, which each use customer loyalty programs to offer players significant discounts on new games. We’re hoping GameStop does something similar in the future, but PowerPass seems like a good first step. You might have noticed GameStop stores carrying fewer video games on shelves over the last few years, and instead reserving more space for figures and game-related shirts, but the success of PowerPass could convince the retailer to stock a larger number of games on its shelves again.

Customers can sign up for PowerPass beginning on November 19. This is just a few days after the release of Star Wars Battlefront II, so you should be able to find at least a few copies available for rental.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
PC Game Pass will now tell you how long it takes to beat games on the service
Microsoft Edge gaming updates on screen in a room.

Microsoft is integrating data from the website How Long To Beat into Game Pass. The company announced its partnership with the IGN-owned website Wednesday, saying it will update the Xbox app on Windows to give Game Pass subscribers time estimates on the game details pages for most of the service's titles on PC.

How Long To Beat is a community-driven website that specializes in calculating the amount of time it takes to play through games, depending on your playstyle. If you just want to get through the main story for Death Stranding, for example, it will take you 40 hours to see the credits roll. If you're a completionist and want to finish the main story, side quests, and unlock every single achievement the game has to offer, it will take you 113 hours (which is a little less than five days) to achieve 100% completion.

Read more
Microsoft claims Sony pays to stop devs from adding content to Xbox Game Pass
A tv shows the new Xbox Game Pass that comes to Samsung Gaming Hub soon.

In the midst of the ongoing battle to get its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved by Brazil, Microsoft has accused Sony of paying for "blocking rights" to prevent developers from adding their games to Xbox Game Pass.

The company filed a claim to the South American country's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) on Tuesday, commenting that Sony has been actively trying to inhibit the growth of Game Pass by keeping certain games from appearing on Microsoft's game-streaming service. In the claim, Microsoft says Sony is paying developers to keep their games out of Game Pass out of exclusivity fears. In other words, it's concerned that some of the Activision Blizzard games that are on PlayStation Plus, like games in the Call of Duty series, may become a Game Pass exclusive once the deal closes -- a concern that Microsoft deems incoherent.

Read more
July Game Pass lineup brings great news if you love Peppa Pig and Yazuka
Majima coming out from under a sewer in Yakuza.

The early July additions for Xbox Game Pass may rank among the wildest combinations of titles ever brought to the service. For the grown-ups, there are three Yakuza games. Those looking for a more realistic experience can immerse themselves in Power Wash Simulator. And if you're a hardcore gamer, say hello to My Friend Peppa Pig. And that's only a fraction of the games coming this month.

Yakuza 0 - PC Launch Trailer

Read more