Another year, another lineup of free games on Game Pass. Microsoft and Xbox’s game subscription service is going big right out of the gate — there are eight new games, new DLCs and new in-game perks being added in January.
The most exciting addition has to be the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, but don’t let that distract you from Outer Wilds. The award-winning game unleashes you on a small but meticulously detailed solar system with a dark secret. Armed with only your trusty ship, a translator, scout drone and jetpack, you can fly anywhere you want in this diorama-style solar system — but every 22 minutes, the sun goes supanova and you return to the start of the game. There’s no combat in Outer Wilds, and you don’t level up or earn new gear between runs. Instead, you learn new information and collect clues that can help you unravel the mystery of the time loop and discover what happened to the people who came before you.
Xbox and PC players can join Game Pass here if you’re not already a subscriber. Members get access to the entire Game Pass library, including the games added in January and older titles like Halo Infinite, Lake, Control and It Takes Two. There’s a lot to choose from, so we’ve rounded up everything new to Game Pass in January to make it easier to sort through.
January 4
Gorogoa (console an PC)
Olija (console and PC)
The Pedestrian (console and PC)
Minecraft New Year’s Celebration, until January 17 (console and PC)
January 5
Apex Legends: RIG Helmet Weapon Charm (console and PC)
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis (console and PC)
January 6
Embr (console and PC)
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (console and PC)
Outer Wilds (console and PC)
Spelunky 2 (console and PC
The Anacrusis game preview (console and PC)
January 18
Nobody Saves the World (console and PC)
January 20
Pupperazzi (console)
Rainbow Six Extraction (console and PC)
Rainbow Six Siege (console and PC)
Leaving Game Pass on January 15
Desperados III (console and PC)
Ghost of a Tale (PC)
Kingdom Hearts III (console)
Mount & Blade: Warband (console and PC)
Pandemic (console and PC)
Yiik: A Postmodern RPG (PC)
