Gone are the days when being an Xbox Live Gold subscriber was a necessity to be able to use media apps, like Netflix, on an Xbox console. While you can access those media apps without Xbox Live Gold, there are still plenty of benefits to being a subscriber.
For starters, an Xbox Live Gold subscription is still required to play multiplayer games online. You won’t be playing Halo or Call of Duty against your friends without a subscription. Microsoft has also rolled out other benefits to subscribers. Every month they update their Games with Gold program. It gives subscribers one or two free games every month. You can download the games all month long, and then keep them forever. There is also a Deals with Gold program. It gives discounts on games and downloadable content (DLC). For example, this week I was able to purchase NHL 15 for only $24 as a Deals with Gold perk.
The only real downside to an Xbox Live Gold subscription is that it isn’t free. Normally a one-year subscription would set you back $59.99. Fortunately, right now you can purchase a one-year subscription from Amazon for only $39.99! As if saving 33% off the regular price weren’t good enough, you also get access immediately. That’s because this particular sale is for the online code. That means when you complete the purchase you’ll get a code that you just need to enter into your Xbox (either One or 360) console or Xbox.com.
This deal doesn’t come around often. It can also be stacked. That means that if you still have time remaining on your current subscription, buying another year will simply extend your subscription by a year. You won’t lose anytime that you’ve already paid for.
