Xbox Game Pass at Gamescom 2018Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central

What you need to know

  • We ran a poll asking readers whether they relied solely on their Game Pass subscription's core benefits or if they bought games and DLC off the service as well.
  • 49.66% of respondents voted that they play exclusively through Game Pass.
  • On the other hand, 37.1% of voters said they'll buy a game before or after it leaves the service.

Not everyone is keen on paying extra money on top of an existing subscription fee, even if there are benefits. That's why we asked readers what their spending habits were with Xbox Game Pass.

Out of a total of 3,550 votes, here are the findings of the poll entitled "Do you tend to buy games that are on Xbox Game Pass?"

  • 49.66% (1,763 votes) chose "no, I play exclusively through Game Pass."
  • 37.1% (1,317 votes) chose "yes, either before or after they leave Game Pass."
  • 13.24% (470 votes) chose "I only buy the DLC for Game Pass games."

So there you have it. Just about half of our readers stick with what Game Pass offers and leave it at that, saving their wallets in the process. Close to 40% are willing to buy a game before or after it leaves the service. And a little under 15% buy DLC for games they don't, in fact, own.

Some folks commented on the poll to mention that they only buy a game in the event they aren't able to finish it before it leaves the service. In other words, they're happy to play exclusively through Game Pass so long as time permits. Other commenters noted they like owning a permanent license or rewarding developers, so they buy games regardless of their GP status.

In short: The majority of voters will stick with their sub's perks for maximum cost effectiveness, but the best Xbox Game Pass games (or best PC Game Pass games, as the Windows side of the service has been rebranded) still compel a large percentage of people to spend additional cash.