You can now give your friends Game Pass for free
Right after the release of multiplayer co-op vampire hunting game Redfall, Microsoft has introduced a new feature for Game Pass subscribers that will let them invite a friend at no extra cost. The new referral system is called Invite Your Friends, and is available for PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
Here’s how it works: if you’re a PC or Ultimate Game Pass subscriber, you’ll get five codes to hand out to your friends. When they redeem those codes on the Microsoft Store, they’ll then have access to PC Game Pass for 14 days, after which their subscription will expire, or (as Microsoft is hoping) they’ll resubscribe.
Referrals will reset on January 1 each year, and if your friend doesn’t redeem their code within 30 days, you’ll be issued with a new one, so there’s not a lot of ways to waste a code. Those who subscribe will get full access to PC Game Pass, not some pared back version, so they’ll be able to play any PC Game Pass game as much as they like.
There are a few minor restrictions. While the program is available in most of the world, players in Argentina, Russia, and Turkey won’t be able to partake. It’s also only available for new Game Pass subscribers, not existing subs, so if you and a friend were thinking you’d trade passes to get a couple months free, think again.
It’s also, so far, not available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, which would arguably be a little bit more useful for many. The price of entry into the Xbox console ecosystem is much lower than a gaming PC would be, and a PC Game Pass subscription alone doesn’t give access to game streaming.
For those still confused, the official PC Game Pass Twitter account put together this helpful comic to explain:
In any case, it’s a nice little feature that lets you play newly released games, like the aforementioned Redfall, with your friends who might not be subscribed or want to shell out for the game. Which, y’know, fair, as we said in our review, Redfall has its fair share of issues.
