Game subscriptions changed how many people build a backlog. Instead of buying a game and owning it, you get access to a rotating catalog: games arrive, stay for a while and then leave. That is great value when you play what you meant to play, and frustrating when a game you were halfway through disappears.
This guide explains how the main subscriptions are organized as of October 2026, how to see what is joining and leaving, and how to fold subscription games into a backlog without losing track. It also covers the services that no longer exist, for anyone arriving from an old link to this domain's former subscription lists.
The basic rule: access is not ownership
Every subscription catalog works on the same principle. While you are subscribed and while a game is in the catalog, you can play it. When either of those stops, you lose access. Xbox states this plainly in its Game Pass FAQ: you can play a game until your membership ends or the game leaves the Game Pass library, and titles and availability vary over time, by region, by plan and by platform.
Save files usually stay on your system or in the cloud, so if you buy the game later or it returns to the catalog, you can often continue. Check the platform's own rules before relying on that.
Xbox Game Pass
As listed on Xbox's official Game Pass page in October 2026, there are four plans:
| Plan | Plays on | New games on launch day |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Console and PC, plus limited cloud play | No |
| Premium | Console and PC, plus limited cloud play | No; Xbox says its own published games arrive within a year of launch |
| Ultimate | Console, PC and cloud | Yes |
| PC Game Pass | PC only | Yes |
The library size differs a lot between plans, and Ultimate also bundles other services such as EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics. Prices change and differ by country, so check the official plan page for your region rather than trusting a number in an article, including this one.
How to see what is joining and leaving
- The Game Pass section on console, PC and mobile has collections for recently added games and for games leaving soon.
- Xbox Wire, Microsoft's official news blog, posts regular round ups of games coming to Game Pass, which usually also list games about to leave.
PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus has three main tiers: Essential, Extra and Premium (named Deluxe in some markets). Essential is mainly online multiplayer and a set of monthly games you can claim. Extra adds a catalog of games you can download and play while subscribed. Premium adds classic games and cloud streaming on top. Sony lists the details on the official PlayStation Plus page.
The monthly games and the catalog behave differently, which trips people up:
- Monthly games must be claimed during their month. Once claimed, they stay in your library as long as you keep an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
- Catalog games in Extra and Premium are available only while they remain in the catalog. They can leave like Game Pass games.
The PlayStation Blog announces each month's games and catalog additions. If you track your backlog, mark claimed monthly games and catalog games differently, because only one of them can disappear while you are still subscribed.
Other subscriptions worth tracking
- EA Play gives access to a catalog of EA games and trials of new releases. It is also included in Game Pass Ultimate.
- Ubisoft+ offers Ubisoft games on PC and other platforms, with different tiers for new releases and older classics.
- Nintendo Switch Online is mainly online play and a library of classic console games, with an Expansion Pack tier that adds more classic systems.
- Cloud services such as GeForce Now let you stream games you already own on supported stores, rather than giving you a catalog of their own.
What happened to the old services
This domain used to list the catalogs of several subscriptions. A few of those services have changed names or closed since:
| Old service | What happened |
|---|---|
| Xbox Game Pass for PC | Renamed PC Game Pass; still a plan of Xbox Game Pass |
| PlayStation Now | Merged into PlayStation Plus in 2022; its streaming became part of the Premium tier |
| EA Access and Origin Access | Combined under the EA Play name in 2020 |
| Uplay+ | Renamed Ubisoft+ in 2020 |
| Google Stadia | Shut down on January 18, 2023 |
If you followed an old link here looking for one of those lists, the services above are where those catalogs went.
Folding subscription games into your backlog
- Flag every subscription game. In the backlog tracker, choose "In a subscription" so these games sort first within their status.
- Check the leaving soon list weekly. Do it as part of the five minute review described in the backlog guide.
- Decide before the deadline. For each flagged game that is leaving, choose one: play it now, buy it to keep it, or let it go. Game Pass members can usually buy games from the library at a member discount, which helps if you are halfway through; check the store page for the exact offer.
- Do not hoard. Adding every catalog game to your backlog makes the list useless. Add a subscription game only when you would actually play it in the next month or two.
- Note the plan. If you change plans, for example from Ultimate to a lower tier, some games may no longer be included. A one word note on each entry saves surprises.
Keeping the moments after the game leaves
When a subscription game leaves the catalog, your recordings stay. If you capture sessions while playing, you can keep the highlights long after access ends. For long recordings, ViceForge, an AI clipping tool from the team behind this site, can find the action in a gameplay video and export short clips with captions. The guide on recording and clipping your best moments covers the manual route too.
Checklist
- I know which plan I am on and what it includes.
- Subscription games are flagged in my backlog.
- I check the leaving soon list once a week.
- Claimed monthly games and catalog games are marked differently.
- I confirm prices and plan contents on the official page, not in articles.