So you got a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and want to play the included EA Play games? Read on and get ready to game.

What Is EA Play?

Previously called EA Access on Xbox, EA Play is a subscription provided by EA that lets you play all the top EA titles, and get early access to EA games. With EA Access you also get discounts on your EA purchases and timed trials for newly released games.

EA Access also has a Pro-tier subscription where you can play EA titles right after they're released. Without a Pro- subscription, you'll have to endure a wait or buy the game to play it on release.

What Is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

Much like EA Play, Xbox Game Pass is a subscription provided by Xbox. For a monthly fee, you get access to a vast catalog of games. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate takes the basic Game Pass subscription further and gives you EA Play and Xbox Live Gold alongside the basic Game Pass. For an increased price, of course.

Xbox Game Pass.

One other significant thing about Game Pass Ultimate is that once you get it for either Xbox or PC, you can use all of its features on the other platform as well.

Though the subscriptions have slightly different catalogs on the two platforms. For instance, the Age of Empires collection is on Game Pass but only available for PC, since developers did not release the game for consoles.

So with Game Pass Ultimate, you get EA Play, Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass for both your Xbox and your PC. To learn more with a thorough explanation, read our article on Xbox Game Pass.

How to Use EA Play With Game Pass Ultimate

To use EA Play with Game Pass on PC, you're going to need three things: The Xbox app, the EA Desktop app, and of course, a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

There's a chance that you have installed the Xbox app on your computer. If not, you can easily install it from the Microsoft Store.

  1. Open Microsoft Store.
  2. In the search bar on top-right, type in Xbox.
  3. Select Xbox (not Xbox Game Pass or other apps).
  4. Click Install. Wait for the app to install.
  5. Click Launch.
  6. Login to the Xbox app with your Microsoft account.
The Xbox app's home screen.

Now you're all set for the Microsoft side of things. Remember, you need to sign in to the Xbox app with an account that has an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Related: What Is EA Desktop and How Does It Compare to EA Origin?

Now you need to settle the EA end of this thread. You can download the EA Desktop app from the official EA Desktop web page. Once you've installed EA Desktop, it's time to link your Xbox and EA accounts.

  1. Open EA Desktop and sign in with your EA account.
  2. Go back to the Xbox app.
  3. Click Game Pass on top-left. This will take you to the Game Pass catalog.
  4. Scroll down to the EA Play games.
  5. Select the game you want to download and then click Install. This will take you to the EA Desktop app where a dialog will appear asking if you want to link your EA account to your Microsoft one.
  6. In EA Desktop, Click Link Accounts.
  7. Finally, click Get Started. You have now linked your two accounts.
EA play titles in the Xbox app.

Now you can install the EA Play titles you want on your computer. You won't have to repeat these steps every time you want to install a game. Once you link your accounts, the installations will require only a couple of clicks.

The All-In-One Package

With Game Pass Ultimate, you get to enjoy the EA Play titles and Game Pass titles on both PC and Xbox. If you're still trying to figure out if Game Pass Ultimate is the right choice for you or not, a good comparison might help you reach a decision.