It’s been more than a month since Microsoft brought the PC Game Pass Preview to more countries in February 2023. After a period of testing with Insiders who signed up (including myself!), Microsoft is officially launching PC Game Pass in more countries across the Middle East and North Africa region.
This expansion brings the service to an additional 40 countries worldwide, bringing it to a grand total of 86 countries from the Xbox blog’s official announcement.
PC Game Pass Perks
The service works just like as if you’re paying for streaming video on a monthly basis, except you get to download and play games on your PC. Games will also leave the service, clearly showcasing the last date you can download and play the game.
The subscription also comes with a host of other benefits:
- Hundreds of PC games from a variety of developers
- Access to Day One releases from Microsoft Game Studios (think Forza Horizon, etc.) and other developers (Minecraft Legends, etc.)
- Iconic Bethesda titles
- An EA Play membership, where you can access EA’s vast catalog and try out new releases up to 10 hours (you’ll need to link your Xbox account to an EA account)
- In-game benefits for Riot Games users
- Discounts for purchasing games before they leave Game Pass, allowing players to continue enjoying them
While the UAE and Saudi Arabia have had the service for 2+ years, users in the following countries in the Middle East and North Africa region can now enjoy it as well:
- Oman
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Libya
- Tunisia
- Algeria
- Morocco
Irresistible Launch Offer
To kick-off the official launch, Microsoft is giving three (3) months free to new members of PC Game Pass. As a token of thanks for the Insiders who tested the Preview (that includes me!), they will receive two (2) free months at no cost. Straight from Jerret West, CVP of Xbox gaming marketing: “This will be available directly in member’s accounts in the coming days”.
You can also download the companion app on iOS/Android, allowing you to browse and queue up downloads to your linked PC. Ensure you have the Xbox app installed on your Windows 10/11 machine to start using it.
Those who are looking to sign up can visit xbox.com/pcgamepass to learn more about local pricing as well as how to sign up. Pricing will vary based on market and the local currency (for me, it has shown QAR 25/month).
