Microsoft created Xbox Live as an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service for gamers who used Xbox consoles. Microsoft improved the service with the releases of Xbox 360 and Xbox One by introducing subscriptions, both free and premium. If you have chosen the Xbox Live Silver subscription, you might be wondering if you can use it to play online games.
So, can you play online with Xbox Live Silver? You can play online games with Xbox Silver; however, you will be limited to the types of games you can play. Xbox Live Silver, now known as Free Xbox Network, includes some of the features that were only available for paid Xbox Live Gold Subscriptions. This means you can only play free online multiplayer games with it.
Some of the other features you can find on Free Xbox Network include a preview of upcoming games, downloading games from Xbox Marketplace, joining a gaming community. Other features include party chat with other Xbox Network members and using music, sport, and premiere entertainment apps.
When you first set up your Xbox console, you need to create an account that you will use to log in to the Xbox Network. Gamers can use their accounts to play online games, buy and download games, and other products.
Gamers using Xbox consoles must have an account on the Xbox Network, formerly known as Xbox Live. You have the option of using the free account known as Xbox Live Silver, now known as Free Xbox Network or pay for Xbox Live Gold. If you choose Xbox Live Network, you might be wondering if you can play online games.
You can play online games with Xbox Live Silver, but Microsoft has limited the access to free online multiplayer games. For some time, players could only access online multiplayer games if they had an Xbox Live Gold membership. There are many free-to-play titles you can play using the Xbox Live Silver account. However, if you want to have access to more online games and other services, you can also upgrade your account to Xbox Live Gold.
Microsoft wanted to introduce new payment plans for Xbox Live Gold memberships, and most gamers did not appreciate the move. Microsoft backtracked on its decision and made amends with the disgruntled gamers, and they decided to remove the Xbox Live Gold requirement for free-to-play multiplayer games. Now any gamer with an Xbox Live Silver account can play free online multiplayer games with other gamers.
If you do not want to pay for any premium Xbox Network membership, you can still enjoy many games with your free Xbox Network account. More than 50 free-to-play games are available on the Xbox Network, including Battle Islands: Commanders, Crimson Alliance, Destiny 2, Star Trek Online, and World of Warships: Legends. You should regularly check the list for new games because Microsoft will also update the games on the free-to-play list adding new titles.
Xbox Live Silver limits the number of services or products you can get from the Xbox Network. If you want to have access to major multiplayer online titles, you can upgrade to a premium membership. You can upgrade to Xbox Live Gold for 9.99 US dollars a month, Xbox Game Pass for console for 9.99 US dollars a month, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for 14.99 US dollars a month.
If you choose the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership subscription, you will only pay 1 US dollar in the first month. You are also not under any obligation to pay for the second month. If you do not like the service of premium membership, you can revert to Xbox Live Silver.
To set up the Xbox Live Silver membership on your Xbox console, turn on your Xbox console and go to the “My Xbox” on your screen and select “Join Xbox Live” and read the Terms of Use before pressing the “A” button on your controller to agree to the Terms of Use. Enter a “Gamertag” that will be used to identify you on the Xbox Network.
Use your Windows Live ID or create one if you did not have it. Select the “Silver membership” option, choose a gamer picture, select a gaming level for your account, and press “A” on your controller to complete the registration.
Can You Play Online without Xbox Live Gold?
Xbox Live Gold is one of the premium subscriptions available to gamers using the Xbox Network. The Xbox Network offers numerous online multiplayer games to gamers, and you might be wondering if you can play online multiplayer games without the Xbox Live Gold subscription.
You can play online games without having an Xbox Live Gold subscription; however, you will not have access to all multiplayer games. If you do not have an Xbox Live Gold subscription, you will have access to online games through the free Xbox account. You can enjoy several services and products without having an Xbox Live Gold subscription, such as downloading games and using Xbox party chat.
After introducing the Xbox Network, Microsoft required all gamers to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online multiplayer games. Microsoft decided to change its policy to allow gamers with a free Xbox Network account to play free-to-play online multiplayer games. Microsoft decided to remove the Xbox Live Gold requirement because of the backlash they received after attempting to double the cost of a yearly Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Removing the Xbox Live Gold subscription requirement meant that some popular games like Call of Duty: Warzone became available to gamers using the free Xbox Network account. Some of the other popular games you can play online without an Xbox Live Gold subscription include Warframe, Killer Instinct, Crackdown, Too Human, and Vigor. There are more than 50 free-to-play online multiplayer games that you can play, and the only requirement is that you must have an Xbox console and an internet connection.
However, you cannot play games available on “Free to Play Weekends” because Microsoft has made it a requirement for gamers to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription to access the service. Free to Play Weekends is an offer where Microsoft makes two different major titles free to play on a specific weekend.
Only gamers with an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass subscription can have access to free-to-play weekends. The free-to-play weekends also have other offers like discounts on prices of specific games, and you also get different editions of a major title at discount prices.
There are several other products and services that you can enjoy without having an Xbox Live Gold subscription. You can listen to music on apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can still watch movies and television series on premium entertainment apps like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, as long as you have paid the necessary subscriptions fees. You can also create a friends list with other gamers using Xbox consoles and interact with them through party chat.
You can also buy and download games and other products or services through the Xbox Game Store. The Xbox Game Store, previously known as Xbox Marketplace, is a digital distribution platform for Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles. You do not need a premium Xbox subscription to access the Xbox Game Store. You can buy video games, but you will not enjoy the discounts Microsoft offers to gamers with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
Can You Play Online without Xbox Live?
Xbox Live, now known as the Xbox Network, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media available on Xbox consoles. The Xbox Network allows you to play online games against other gamers and purchase video games, play demos, watch game trailers, among other things. After buying an Xbox console, you might be wondering if it is possible to play online games without Xbox Live.
You cannot play online games without Xbox Live because you cannot access any services on the Xbox Network without an Xbox Network account. When you set up your Xbox console for the first time, you have to create an account that you will use to log in on the Xbox Network. You have the option of using the free Xbox Network account or paying for an Xbox Live subscription. There are many benefits of having a premium Xbox Live subscription, such as discounts on video games.
Microsoft made it a requirement to have an account before you can access the Xbox Network. When you buy an Xbox console, you will have to create an account during the initial setup or use an existing Microsoft account during the initial setup. If you have a Microsoft account, you will use it to create an Xbox account.
If you want to play online games on your Xbox console, you have to create an Xbox Network account. The Gamertag you will create on your first time to sign in on the Xbox Network will identify you by the Xbox gaming community. You can change your Gamertag once for free because Microsoft will start to charge you for any subsequent changes.
After creating an Xbox Network account, you can choose the free Xbox Network account or opt for the premium Xbox Network accounts. The Free Xbox Network, previously known as Xbox Live Silver, now includes some of the features available for gamers who owned premium Xbox Network subscriptions. The free Xbox Network allows you to play free-to-play online games with your friends.
You can also opt to pay for a premium Xbox Network account. Currently, there are three subscriptions that you can choose for your Xbox Network account. You can pay for the Xbox Live Gold for 9.99 US dollars per month. You can also choose to purchase the Xbox Game Pass subscription for 9.99 US dollars per month or the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for 14.99 US dollars. All these subscriptions have unique services and products that suit an individual gaming taste.
If you opt for the Xbox Live Gold, you will get two free games to play each month. You can also join any of the gaming communities of gamers on the Xbox Network. You also get up to 50% on select titles in the Microsoft Store.
If you choose to pay for the Xbox Game Pass subscription, you have the option of paying for Xbox Game Pass for PC or console. If you are buying Xbox Game Pass for PC, you will get an offer to pay 1 US dollar for the first month and 9.99 US dollars for the other months. You also get over 100 high-quality PC games and an EA Play membership.
If you purchase the Xbox Game Pass for console, you also get to play over 100 high-quality console games and same-day access to titles released by Xbox Game Studios. You also get exclusive member discounts and deals on select titles.
You can also choose Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which will give you access to over 100 high-quality games for consoles, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. You can play games from the cloud; therefore, you do not have to use your main gaming device to play games. You also get free perks such as in-game content and offers from third-party game developers.
You also get an EA Play membership that you can access on both your console and gaming PC. Xbox Game Pass is available for 1 US dollar in the first month, and you will pay 14.99 US dollars in the subsequent months.
Wrap Up
The Xbox Live Silver account, now known as free Xbox Network, did not offer many things to gamers, but Microsoft’s recent announcement changed a few things. The policy change by Microsoft removed the requirement that you can only play online games if you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Therefore, now you can play free-to-play online multiplayer games and access all the entertainment apps while using the free Xbox Network account.
The Xbox Live, currently known as the Xbox Network, is an important part of gaming for gamers using an Xbox console, and you cannot do anything online without it. Creating the Xbox Network is free and does not take a lot of time.
If you do not want to pay for subscriptions, you can use your account to access other services on the Xbox Network. However, Microsoft has created several subscriptions that have excellent services. You can use the one-month free trial on some of the membership subscriptions before deciding whether the service is good for you.
