Xbox All Access explained: is it worth it and where can you buy?
Everything you need to know about Xbox Series X All Access
Xbox All Access is an Xbox Series X payment plan system that allows you to open a line of credit with a retailer and pay $34.99 / £28.99 a month for a console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription over the course of two years.
Xbox Series X All Access is a surefire way to land precious Xbox Series X stock without having to chase retailer drops. That's because you can easily pre-order your console through a retailer like Walmart in the US and Game in the UK, reserving a unit for yourself, and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, ahead of the next stock wave. The only hitch here is that you won't be buying your Xbox outright. Instead Xbox Series X All Access is a payment plan system, set up through your retailer of choice.
Over the course of 24 months, you'll be paying $34.99 / £28.99 a month (for the Xbox Series X) or $24.99 / £20.99 a month (for the Xbox Series S) - and there are no hidden fees or APR to add to this. But it is a new line of credit with the retailer themselves; that means you will need to pass credit checks to be able to take part.
That means you're essentially reserving an Xbox Series X bundle, ready for new stock to drop, securing a Game Pass Ultimate deal on top of your console. That's a solid plan if you're struggling to keep up with restocks.
Retailers offering Xbox Series X payment plans
Xbox Series X All Access is available at a number of retailers in the US and UK, and Telstra in Australia. All retailers should have the same terms, though it's worth checking the fine print of each store just to make sure you're signing up to Microsoft's service.
US: Walmart | Best Buy | Target | GameStop
Australia: Telstra
Is Xbox Series X All Access worth it?
Xbox All Access also actually works out cheaper if you were always planning on supplementing your console with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. If you're on an Xbox Series X payment plan in the US, for example, you'll be paying a total of $839.76 over the course of the 24 months. However, you're saving the total $359.76 price of a Game Pass Ultimate membership across the same period. Removing that cost from the overall price leaves us with a $480 figure for the console by itself - around $20 cheaper than the MSRP.
The story gets even better in the UK. Xbox Series X All Access actually leaves you £113 up if you're interested in grabbing Game Pass Ultimate at the same time. £28.99 a month totals up to £695.76, but the same amount of Game Pass time would cost you £359.76 all in. That means you're essentially picking up the Xbox by itself for just £336.
What happens if your console breaks?
It's important to note here that when using Xbox Series X All Access, you'll be taking on ownership of the console itself when you sign up to the payment plan. That means you're covered by Microsoft's standard one-year warranty but will need to continue making payments until the full 24 month period had been paid off. This stands even if your console breaks during this time frame. It's also worth noting that Xbox controllers only carry a 90-day warranty from Microsoft.
Can you pay off Xbox All Access early?
In the US and UK, you can pay off your Xbox All Access membership early. Citizens One takes care of the credit in the US and allows free early payments, as does Klarna in the UK.
Of course, Xbox All Access won't be for everyone - especially if you're not keen on committing to a 24 month payment plan. In that case, we'd recommend keeping a close eye out for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S bundles over the course of the next few months - and we're also rounding up all the best Xbox Series X accessories and the latest Xbox Live Gold 12 month membership deals as well.
Sign up to the 12DOVE Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Managing Editor of Hardware at 12DOVE, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.