Is Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Required on Xbox One? Full Breakdown by Tier

Not required to use the console, but needed for the full experience. Here's what each tier unlocks.

Free Tier (No Subscription)

• Play free-to-play games online (Fortnite, Apex, Warzone, Rocket League).
• Play single-player games (disc or digital).
• Use media apps (Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, etc.).
• Party chat (now free for all).

Xbox Live Gold ($10/mo or $60/yr)

• Online multiplayer for paid games (CoD, FIFA, Halo, etc.).
• Monthly Games with Gold (2–4 free games to keep while subscribed).
• Store discounts.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($17/mo)

• All Gold benefits plus:
• 300+ games (Xbox, PC, cloud) including day-one first-party releases.
• EA Play membership included.
• Cloud gaming on phone, TV, PC.

Recommendation

Best value: Game Pass Ultimate. Casual/solo only: Free tier works fine.