You don’t necessarily need to buy games for the family, because subscription models exist, too. What’s out there?
If you’re struggling to find something for the kids to do — maybe they’re done with their homework or struggling what to do in lockdown and all — it might be time to tune into the world of video games.
You can still be a parent and let them play for sets of time as opposed to their entire life, and they can have some fun and blow off some steam. In fact, depending on the game, you might even blow off some steam with them.
The cost of games can be concerning, of course, because video game titles aren’t always inexpensive. Fortunately, there are gaming services that can help, and they not only provide a greater selection, but might bring the cost of gaming down to a similar monthly fee approach you’re already using for watching movies and TV shows.
What options are available if you want to get some gaming on demand the same way you tune into music or movie services these days?
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Available on: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Price: $15.95 per month per user
Arguably the world’s biggest gaming subscription service, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass may well offer the best smorgasbord of games for gamers on a subscription service, delivering titles new and old, both high-end and independent.
There’s a version for the Xbox, a version for Windows, and a version — the “ultimate” one — for both Xbox and Windows, and it bundles in EA’s gaming service “EA Play” for free, so you don’t need to buy it separately. That gives you a bunch of titles you can play for one monthly price, making it an easy option for gaming on either platform, Xbox or PC.
Sony PlayStation Plus
Available on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Price: $11.95 per month per user
Sony’s take on Xbox Game Pass isn’t so much a buffet of brilliant gaming, but more like a very gradual degustation, where you’re given a couple of games each month for free to add to your account, plus some downloadable content and discounts on other titles.
They’ll stay yours to play while you’re a member of PlayStation Plus, so it works in much the same way as Xbox Game Pass — you can only use the subscribed to games as you pay — but they include games made for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 that you’d normally have had to pay for, plus discounts on others.
Apple Arcade
Available on: macOS, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV
Price: $7.99 per month shared between a six-user family account
Apple Arcade is next, and it’s geared at owners of Apple products in general. Featuring games made exclusively for Apple’s service and revamped classics, Apple Arcade features over 100 games for a monthly fee of $8 in Australia, and that’s after a one month trial.
The games are built for pretty much every Apple device, working on Apple’s laptops, desktops, iPad tablets, iPhone models, the iPod Touch, and even the Apple TV. In fact, if you plan on playing on an Apple TV, you’ll want to bring with a controller, as some games need one to work.
While some of the games are genuinely compelling, perhaps the best feature of Apple Arcade is how it’s shared between users: buy one account and it will be shared between a family account, giving you and five other people access to the games made available on the service.
Google Play Pass
Available on: Android phone, Android tablet
Price: $7.99 per month shared between a six-user family account
Google’s approach to mobile gaming comes for Android users in the form of Google Play Pass, which offers hundreds of games alongside apps for one price, shared between a family account.
Much like Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass only works on devices it’s made for, which in this case have to run Android and have access to the Google Play Store. That means you’ll need a recent Android phone or tablet, but possibly not a Huawei model, given there’s no official access anymore there.
However, if your family is packing Android phones, it’s an easy way to get access to apps and games in numbers without needing to buy each one independently.
Antstream Arcade
Available on: Windows PC, macOS, Android phones & tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Atari VCS, Linux
Price: Free with ads, £9.99 per month without ads
Something a little bit different and made for the older crowd, Antstream Arcade is an old-school retro gaming service, supporting older games that can work on computers, Android devices, and even equally retro-gadgets like the Atari VCS.
Antstream Arcade offers arcade games from the old days, including the likes of Galaga, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Fatal Fury, Mortal Kombat, and even console titles such as Earthworm Jim, providing a dose of the old school on current devices.
An ad-supported free service, Antstream may well be the most economical service on this list provided you don’t mind the odd ad or two, though if you don’t mind paying a monthly fee, there’s one of those to kill the ads entirely.
