Key Takeaways

  • Xbox Live Gold is transitioning into a new tier called Xbox Game Pass Core, meaning August 2023 will be the last month for Games With Gold.
  • While free game drops are not included in the new membership, previously-claimed games will still be accessible with any Game Pass membership.
  • Subscribing to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $16.99/month provides access to Xbox Live Gold membership, Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass for PC.

Each month, Xbox gamers can download and play a couple of free games as part of an Xbox Live Gold subscription, although the system is coming to an end soon.

Xbox Live Gold is being converted into a new tier of Game Pass, called Xbox Game Pass Core, on 14 September 2023, and this means that the games delivered in August 2023 (the ones listed below) will be the final set of Games With Gold ever.

The free game drops are not being carried forward into the new membership, although you'll still have access to all your previously-claimed games while you have a Game Pass membership of any sort live.

Until then, Xbox Live Gold is more than just free games though. It also gives Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One S and even original Xbox One owners the chance to play multiplayer games online and discounts on many digital games on the Xbox Store.

In our opinion, the best way to subscribe is through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. For just $16.99 per month, you get Xbox Live Gold membership, Xbox Game Pass with access to over 300 games to download and play, EA Play, Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, plus Xbox Game Pass for PC with more than 200 Windows 10 titles.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3 months)

Three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to hundreds of Xbox games, plus EA Play, Cloud Gaming, online play and more.

Free Xbox Games with Gold list for August 2023:

Here are the Xbox Live Gold free games you get this month as part of your subscription - the last ones that will ever be available!

Blue Fire

  • Available: 1 to 31 August 2023

This challenging little adventure takes its cues from The Legend of Zelda but with more of an emphasis on movement, making it feel a little more modern.

Inertial Drift

  • Available: 1 to 31 August 2023

For those who love to drift, there's nothing quite like this - a game that makes its entire reason to exist the simple art of drifting your car round a series of corners just perfectly.

It's worth noting that Xbox has ceased the inclusion of backward compatible games to the Games with Gold line-up.