Xbox 360 Games That Are Worth Money
Microsoft will let you finance your new Xbox Series X or S with $0 down and 0% APR. What else does it include? Is it worth it, or should you pay cash?
Despite the deflating delay of Halo: Infinite, there are still plenty of reasons to get pumped for the launch of the Xbox Series X. On launch day you can storm England with a fleet of longships in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and slide over a muddy finish line in Dirt 5. And before you know it, you'll be exploring a new Halo ring or Night City in Cyberpunk, all in glorious 4K, 60+ FPS.
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But next-gen comes with a cost: $299 for the all-digital Series S and a wallet-busting $499 for the all-powerful Series X (and let's be honest; you're eying the X).
Considering the pandemic-stricken economy, pervasive student loans, and tightening budgets, $500 is a lot to ask of gamers for some 4K escapism. Realizing this, Microsoft has launched Xbox All Access – a financing program to make the new Xbox appear more affordable.
$0 down, 0% APR sounds good, but is it worth it? What's the catch? And what are some alternatives?
Let's investigate Xbox All Access.
What is Xbox All Access?
Xbox All Access is Microsoft's financing program for the new Xbox Series X or Series S consoles. Enroll in Xbox All Access and you'll receive a console on launch day November 10th plus 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
With approved credit, you'll pay $0 down, 0% APR, and a low monthly fee ranging from $25 to $35 per month for the Series S and Series X, respectively.
How does it work?
Xbox All Access operates like your monthly phone plan. Microsoft is basically bundling together your hardware and your software into one monthly fee to make next-gen gaming a bit friendlier to the average budget than asking $500 for a console plus $60-$70 per game.
They've also made enrolling in Xbox All Access extremely easy; it's basically the same as purchasing a console with cash, the only difference being how much money you're charged and when. To illustrate, on BestBuy.com there's a listing for the $500 console and a listing for Xbox All Access. To enroll in the latter, you simply add it to your cart and "buy" it.
When you enroll in Xbox All Access, Microsoft opens a line of credit for you from Citizens One bank. The bank pays Best Buy and you pay the bank. Yep, you're basically mortgaging your Xbox.
It's worth noting too that Xbox All Access, like other financing opportunities, is subject to a credit approval of 630 and above. If you're struggling in that department, make sure you take steps to improve your credit.
How much does it cost?
Xbox All Access costs $22.99, $24.99, and $34.99 per month for an Xbox One S, Series S, and Series X respectively.
Here's a quick recap of the difference between consoles.
- The Xbox One S is a faster version of the Xbox One released in 2013, able to run exclusively last-gen Xbox One games at 1440p (but not true 4K).
- The Xbox Series S is an all-digital version of the Series X with no disc drive and less power. The Series S is impressively petite and affordable, but unable to play games at native 4K resolution.
- The Xbox Series X is the true next-gen experience you're looking for, able to play current and next-gen games at native 4K in disc or digital format.
Struggling to choose between Series S and X? The S makes sense if you have no interest in buying, selling, or trading physical copies of games, and you either lack the interest or don't have a TV capable of playing games in true 4K.
But for my money, I'm going for the Series X – I'll make back the $10 per month or $200 cash eventually, and in the meantime, I'll get to enjoy Cyberpunk and Halo in true 4K.
Xbox All Access – is it worth it?
Let's crunch some numbers. Is Xbox All Access really as good of a deal as it sounds? What's the catch?
I'll start with the Xbox Series S. Here's what you'd pay for everything in cash versus financing for 24 months. I'm including 8% sales tax, but the tax will differ depending on where you live.
- Cash:
- Xbox One S console ($299).
- 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (24 x $14.99).
- Total: $658.76 + 8% tax = $711.46.
- Xbox All Access:
- Total: $24.99 x 24 + 8% tax = $647.74.
So if you enroll in Xbox All Access, you'll actually end up saving around $63 versus purchasing the console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate separately. From that perspective, Xbox All Access is a good deal.
Let's now take a look at the Series X.
- Cash:
- Xbox One X console ($499) 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (24 x $14.99).
- Total: $858.76 + 8% tax = $927.46.
- Xbox All Access:
- Total: $34.99 x 24 + 8% tax = $906.94.
Once again, financing your next-gen Xbox will actually save you money versus paying cash, albeit less this time (around 20 bucks). That's honestly pretty amazing, considering financing virtually every other asset on the market (home, car, etc.) will cost you money in interest.
Citizens One has to make money somewhere, so I'm guessing that in lieu of interest they're getting a nice kickback from Microsoft, who in turn is subsidizing the cost of Game Pass Ultimate.
Is there a better alternative to Xbox All Access?
The drawback of simply buying an Xbox Series X and purchasing eBay codes ad hoc is that you'll have to pay $499 upfront. Is there another way besides Xbox All Access to finance that hairy, scary lump sum?
Chase Freedom Flex
If you're looking to get a new credit card, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is perfect for financing the Xbox Series X.
Right off the bat, if you spend $500 within three months (you know, like on an Xbox), you'll receive a $200 account credit. Plus, you'll receive 1% back on all purchases. So that brings the price of an Xbox Series X from $538.92 with tax to just $333.53.
If you'd like to finance the remaining sum, the Chase Freedom Flex card offers a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months . So you'll be able to pay as little as ~$23 per month and pay off your Series X a whole nine months before Xbox All Access would expire.
What does Xbox All Access include?
Xbox All Access includes 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which itself is receiving an impressive next-gen upgrade.
For the uninitiated, Xbox Game Pass is like Microsoft's Netflix for games. The current library features hundreds of Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games that you can download and play at your leisure as long as you're subscribed. Titles range from AAA heavy hitters like Halo, Gears of War, and The Witcher 3 to indie darlings like Hollow Knight and Untitled Goose Game (yep, that's its name). Best of all, Microsoft is constantly adding titles to Game Pass, even first-party titles like Halo: Infinite in 2021, so there's always something new to play.
If that weren't enough, Microsoft has announced that EA Play would join the catalog on November 10th. This means that some of the best games from EA's history, including Titanfall, Mass Effect, Battlefield, and Fifa would join Game Pass as well as future titles.
Game Pass Ultimate also includes 100+ titles for PC as well as Xbox Live Gold, so you can play online with your friends for 24 months as well. Considering Xbox Game Pass Ultimate typically costs $14.99 per month, the deal offered by Xbox All Access just became a little sweeter.
What does it not include?
Xbox All Access only includes the console, one controller, an HDMI cable, and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means no extended warranty, no physical games, no bonus controller, or any other bonuses.
Pros and cons of Xbox All Access
Pros:
- $0 down, 0% APR – Through Xbox All Access, you can have a next-gen Xbox plus hundreds of downloadable games through Game Pass Ultimate on November 10th for $0. Normally, that would sound like a huge red flag, but here, it actually makes sense.
- Affordable monthly fees – Even in a pandemic-stricken economy, $35 per month isn't a horrible price to pay. Cancel a few subscriptions and make a little extra cash online and you can enjoy some affordable, guilt-free 4K escapism.
- Includes hundreds of games plus Gold – Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is pretty much all you need to keep yourself busy for thousands of hours, whether you're playing an endless RPG like The Witcher 3 or competing online in Gears Tactics.
Cons:
- It's still a lot of money – Xbox All Access may be "cheaper" than paying cash and subscribing to Ultimate for two years, but $650 or $900 is still a lot to spend on video games. There are much cheaper ways of enjoying Xbox, which I'll elaborate on in my personal take below.
- No flexibility – Xbox All Access is simple and easy to understand, but inflexible. You can't downgrade from Ultimate to regular Game Pass, for example, or cancel it within 24 months for a partial refund. Nor can you add an extended warranty on your console.
- You can play Xbox in 4K for less – A gently pre-owned Xbox One X costs around $300 now and plays countless Xbox titles in 4K already. If you're new to Xbox, there's a whole back catalog of high-quality games in the 2013-2020 generation waiting for you for less than half of what you'd spend on next-gen.
- Financing can hurt your credit – Financing your Xbox through Citizens One bank is like financing anything else – it can help or hurt your credit score. Microsoft's own website warns that any late payments will be reported to credit bureaus, so be sure to set up autopay and notifications to prevent any disruptions in monthly payments.
Xbox All Access may be a good fit for you if:
You want it all for less
If you've been playing your Xbox One for years and you're just ready for next-gen and everything it has to offer, Xbox All Access makes sense for you.
Xbox All Access provides a new console plus 24 months of games and multiplayer for a simple monthly price. That's everything plus the kitchen sink for $20-$60 less than you'd pay piecemeal, and the low monthly payments may help you balance your budget better than a massive upfront expenditure.
Xbox All Access may not be a good fit for you if:
You haven't experienced the Xbox One X
Maybe you've been team Playstation this generation (enjoying Bloodborne). Or maybe you're totally new to console gaming. You might even be looking at your dusty Xbox One, thinking about an upgrade.
In all three cases, you might consider purchasing an Xbox One X instead of the Series X. As Microsoft's most powerful console current-gen console, the Xbox One X makes a compelling case for itself in a few ways:
- The Xbox One X already plays many of the best Xbox games in native 4K and/or 60 frames per second.
- Thanks to Microsoft's "cross-gen" support it'll play many next-gen titles also, namely Halo: Infinite.
- You can buy an Xbox One X new for $399, or ~$300 in the pre-owned market (which will likely be flooded after the Series X launch).
I got my Xbox One X at a pawn shop in mint condition for $285, and frankly, it provides plenty of power and visual splendor to make use of my 65" 4K TV.
But more on my personal feelings later.
You're not interested in Ultimate Game Pass
Enrolling in Xbox All Access only makes sense if you're 100% certain you'll want Ultimate Game Pass for the next 24 months.
As a reminder, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass, Game Pass for PC, and Xbox Live Gold, which enables online multiplayer. If you're only interested in playing single player games or split-screen multiplayer, you might as well downgrade to Game Pass, which is just $9.99 per month.
If you factor in the one-month free trial, you can have an Xbox Series X plus 24 months of non-Ultimate Game Pass for just $787 after taxes, a sizable ~$120 savings off of 24 months of Xbox All Access.
You're not 100% committed to next-gen gaming
Enrolling in Xbox All Access is a commitment to pay $906.94 total over two years. According to Microsoft, you can "return" your Xbox All Access subscription to the retail store where you purchased it for a full refund of the payments you've made, but only within the retail store's return window (typically 30 days).
If you keep your Xbox All Access past 30 days, you're basically stuck with $34.99 monthly payments for two years. Even if you sell your hardware, you'll have to keep paying $35 each month for a console and gaming subscription you no longer have.
So Xbox All Access is not a good option if you just want to "try" next-gen gaming, since it's a near-$1,000 financial commitment.
My personal take as an Xbox fanboy
I've owned every Xbox since 2003. I even purchased the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on launch day. So you'd think that once pre-orders opened up for the Xbox Series X I'd jump right on the bandwagon.
Nah, I'm good. I'd much rather invest and multiply that money.
Instead, here's how I play the latest games in true 4K for less than a third of the cost of Xbox All Access.
Buy a preowned Xbox One X
First, I sold my Xbox One for $220 on Facebook Marketplace and bought a mint condition Xbox One X at a local pawn shop for $285. That takes care of the hardware. Now I have a machine that will play Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo: Infinite in 4K for little more than half the price of a Series X.
The graphics won't be quite as sharp, but I'm still blown away by what the One X can do on my TV. You can buy new Xbox One Xs for $399, refurbished for $369, or search Facebook Marketplace – I've found plenty in multiple cities listed for <$300.
Buy Game Pass Ultimate subscription codes piecemeal off of eBay
As for software, $14.99 is a nominal price to pay for the latest games and a Netflix-like back catalog of greatest hits. But here's a secret Microsoft doesn't want you to know: you can purchase individual one-month subscriptions to Ultimate Game Pass on eBay for $4.99. I can vouch for their legitimacy, as I've been using them for years. Sure, you have to enter a fresh code each month, but it's a small price to pay to save $120 per year. Plus, you can cancel anytime by simply letting your 1-month subscription expire – no auto-renewals to worry about.
On that note, the greatest drawback, the "catch" to Xbox All Access, is that it locks you into paying full-price for Game Pass Ultimate for two years. If you instead pay $499 for a Series X console and purchase some eBay codes, even 24 of them, you'll end up saving $240 versus Xbox All Access. If you can "settle" for an Xbox One X, you'll save $440 versus Xbox All Access.
Best of all, on the "Console + Codes" plan, you're never locked into a monthly payment you may suddenly be unable to afford. Paying off your console up front is also a sure way to avoid missed payments.
I mean, can you imagine letting your Xbox affect your credit score?
Summary
Xbox All Access seems like a convenient, affordable way to start next-gen gaming. $0 down, 0% APR is an impressive offer, especially considering that you'll end up paying less to finance your new console plus Ultimate Game Pass than you would by purchasing those items separately.
However, it makes much more financial sense to just purchase the $499 console upfront and buy some Ultimate Game Pass codes on eBay. This option lets you discontinue Game Pass Ultimate at any time, and even if you stay subscribed for two straight years, you'll save hundreds versus Xbox All Access.
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Xbox 360 Games That Are Worth Money
Source: https://www.moneyunder30.com/xbox-all-access
Posted by: vangorderwhout1940.blogspot.com
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