Summary
- Xbox Game Pass has had a strong year in 2024, with well-received day-one releases like Persona 3 Reload and Palworld.
- However, Xbox Game Pass' lineup in May 2024 pales in comparison to PlayStation Plus' offerings, with only a few standout additions.
- PlayStation Plus even outshines Xbox Game Pass in Indie releases, with Animal Well being one of the year's highest-rated games.
Generally speaking, 2024 has been a good year for Xbox Game Pass, albeit not one without its few hiccups along the way. Though day-one Xbox Game Pass releases have been rather rare this year, the few that fans have been given have generally been very well-received, with Persona 3 Reload, Palworld, and Another Crab's Treasure all being key examples. Xbox Game Pass' third-party offerings have helped to pick up the slack as well this year, with Resident Evil 2 and 3, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dead Island 2 going a long way in filling in the gaps between day-one launches.
But while Xbox Game Pass has maintained a steady pace this year, it seems as though that momentum is finally slowing down. As things currently stand, Xbox Game Pass has had a rather weak line-up this May, and though a few additions will likely be announced soon, they'd have to really go above and beyond to outdo what PlayStation Plus is delivering this month.
Best Crossplay Games On Xbox Game Pass To Play Right Now
These great Xbox Game Pass games support cross-platform multiplayer, granting players access to PS5 and PC players.
Xbox Game Pass Is Being Outdone by PS Plus This May
Xbox Game Pass' May 2024 Line-Up Pales in Comparison to PS Plus's Essential's Offerings
Currently, only three games have been released on Xbox Game Pass this month. While Xbox Game Pass' monthly schedule is often quite erratic, this is the lowest number of games this year that have been added to the service in the first half of the month, with January, February, and March all having at least four new additions by this time. Last month, a whopping 10 games were added to Xbox Game Pass by the month's halfway point.
Normally, this kind of scarcity wouldn't be scrutinized too much, but Xbox Game Pass has some very strong competition this month. The May 2024 PlayStation Plus free games (Essential tier) are great across the board. Tunic is one of the most acclaimed Indie games of the last few years, Ghostrunner 2 is a thrilling action-platformer that is still pretty new, EA Sports FC 24 still has at least a few months of life left in it before the next entry drops, and Destiny 2: Lightfall brings players up to date just in time for The Final Shape's release next month.
There's really something for everyone this month on PlayStation Plus, and all the offerings are actually worth playing. Unfortunately, Xbox Game Pass' current May 2024 line-up pales in comparison, with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 arguably being the only truly standout addition this month.
PlayStation Plus is also set to receive a slew of new PS Plus Extra and Premium games, though they won't be announced until around May 15.
PS Plus Has The Better-Reviewed Day-One Indie Release
Unfortunately, there's another direct point of comparison between the two gaming subscription services this month. This May, both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus have received one day-one Indie release each. Xbox Game Pass received Little Kitty, Big City earlier this month, while PlayStation Plus got Animal Well. While both games have been reviewed quite well, Animal Well is one of the year's biggest surprise successes, reaching an incredibly impressive 91 on Metacritic, with many outlets and fans deeming it to be one of the most creative and innovative Indie games in recent memory. Though Little Kitty, Big City is still a good game by all accounts, it simply can't compare to Animal Well, which is currently the second highest-rated game of the year according to Metacritic.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
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