Matthew DeCarlo
Can’t afford an Xbox? Microsoft’s latest Xbox All Access bundles get you a console of your choosing and two years of Game Pass Ultimate for 24 monthly payments that cost less than if you bought everything upfront.
Starting October 29 in Australia, November 5 in the UK and November 18 in the US, select partners and retailers including Amazon in the US will begin offering Xbox All Access bundles that include an Xbox console and two years of Microsoft’s online services for a monthly payment that varies depending on the console chosen.
For $19.99 a month over a period of two years, you can purchase the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (note: this model doesn’t have a disc drive and instead relies on downloading games from Microsoft’s platform). Jumping up to $22.99 per month for 24 months gets you the regular Xbox One S. This one does have a disc drive but isn’t as powerful as the Xbox One X, which is going for $30.99 per month for two years via Xbox All Access.
Xbox All Access also includes two years of Game Pass Ultimate, which typically costs $14.99 and grants access to Xbox Gold Live as well as Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, providing a library of more than 100 games that can be downloaded and played for no additional cost. Titles include the newly released The Outer Worlds.
Instead of costing more, opting for one of those monthly payment plans is cheaper than if you were to buy everything upfront. The amount saved depends on which package you buy. In the case of the Xbox One X, it currently costs $399 at the Microsoft Store while Game Pass Ultimate costs $14.99 a month. After paying for the console up front and then subscribing to Game Pass Ultimate, you’d spend $758.76 versus $743.76 if you paid Microsoft $30.99 per month over two years for the same hardware and service.
If you want to save the most you can on Microsoft’s current-gen console, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition package yields a savings of more like $130 over two years. Buying the All Digital Edition console outright would currently cost $249. Add two years of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to that and you’re looking at $608.76 versus $479.76 if you paid Microsoft $19.99 per month for two years for All Access.
Beyond saving some cash on the current-generation Xbox consoles, note that Microsoft has a special offer where folks in the US and UK who make 12 to 18 payments on their All Access bundle will be eligible for an upgrade to the next-generation Xbox, tentatively known as Project Scarlett and due in the holiday season of 2020. Australians who pay for an All Access bundle can buyout their hardware at any time and upgrade to Project Scarlett when it’s available.
When the time comes to upgrade to Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console, you’ll have to reset your All Access contract for another 24 months. Furthermore, if you opted for the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, the upgrade process will involve a $20 fee, though this doesn’t currently apply to the standard Xbox One S or the Xbox One X.
“Special Holiday Upgrade Offer: Upgrading to Project Scarlett is subject to its release and availability at the time you upgrade. Upgrade requires at least 12 payments on your original Xbox All Access contract, and purchase of a new 24-month Xbox All Access contract for Project Scarlett, expected Holiday 2020. Offer valid for original purchase of Xbox One X with Xbox All Access through Dec 31, 2019; not available with Xbox One S. New contract, terms, and pricing apply. Requires return of console in good condition. Project Scarlett is subject to FCC rules and will comply with the appropriate FCC rules when available. See product and upgrade terms at Xbox.com/XboxAllAccessTerms.
In order to participate in the upgrade program when Project Scarlett launches in Holiday 2020, players in the U.S. and U.K. will need to be in good standing with the respective financing partner in their market, purchase Project Scarlett with a new Xbox All Access purchase from the same retail partner where they joined the program, and trade-in the console originally purchased with Xbox All Access. Terms and conditions apply, including an upgrade fee for players upgrading from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition to Project Scarlett.
You may upgrade from Xbox One X, Xbox One S, and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition to the next Xbox console (coming late 2020) only. Upgrading from Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will require payment of an upgrade fee (currently USD$20, subject to change); upgrading from Xbox One X and Xbox One S do not require payment of an upgrade fee.”
