Wow. Microsoft and Xbox coming in with the One-Two punch this morning. First, we got the announcement and confirmation of the Xbox Series X price and release date and now we get the huge news of even more value being added to Xbox Game Pass.Announced via an official blog post, Microsoft has shared that subscribers of the service will now get access to EA Play at no extra cost. The deal will be available to anybody who subscribes to either Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for console or PC and will begin this holiday.

EA Play is EA's equivalent of Xbox Game Pass and comes with more than 60 of EA’s biggest console and PC titles - these include FIFA 20, Need for Speed Heat and Star Wars Battlefront II. This new partnership just adds value to what many already consider "the best deal in gaming" and strengthens Microsoft's proposition heading into the next generation.

Alongside access to a huge catalogue of EA titles, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also now have access to trials of games for up to 10 hours. These include some of EA's most popular franchises and top sports games including Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21. Plus, Microsoft adds that "some of the best EA Play games will also be available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play on Android devices via the cloud at no additional charge." This is ahead of xCloud's Android launch in just a few days time on September 15.

Today's announcements, which come on the PlayStation's 25th Anniversary, are likely to have been forced by the recent leaks. Over the last couple of days the official reveal of the Xbox Series S, plus its price and release date have been spoiled by online leaks, so Microsoft likely wanted to get this information out before anything else was spoilt.

While Microsoft doesn't have many first-party titles ready for the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, especially with the delay of Halo Infinite, the sheer volume of games available on Xbox Game Pass, now with EA play will be more than enough for some people to make the jump.