Discord announced its Nitro Rewards program on May 11, 2026, bundling Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition into its premium subscription at no extra cost. If you have a Discord Nitro subscription you may already be entitled to 50+ free games. But a lot of people are asking the same question first: does this work with Nitro Basic, or only the full Nitro plan?
The short answer is no. Discord Nitro Basic does not include Xbox Game Pass. The benefit is exclusive to the standard Discord Nitro tier.
Nitro Basic vs Nitro: What the Difference Actually Means
Discord has two paid subscription tiers. Nitro Basic costs $2.99 per month and gives you larger file uploads, custom emojis, and a profile badge. Standard Discord Nitro costs $9.99 per month and adds server boosts, HD video streaming, animated avatars, and now, Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition through the new Nitro Rewards program.
Nitro Basic subscribers are not eligible for Nitro Rewards. If you try to access the Nitro Rewards section in Discord on a Basic plan, you will not see the Xbox Game Pass card. Only accounts on the $9.99 tier will find it there.
This distinction matters because a large share of Discord’s paying users are on Nitro Basic. Many upgraded for the cheap perks and have never seen a reason to pay the full price. The Game Pass deal is now one such reason, but only if you make the jump to standard Nitro.
What Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition Actually Includes
The version of Game Pass bundled with Nitro is called the Starter Edition. It is not Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and it is not PC Game Pass. Here is what it includes:
- Access to a rotating library of roughly 58 PC and console games
- 10 hours of cloud gaming per month
- Xbox Rewards points
Confirmed titles in the current Starter Edition library include Fallout 4, Stardew Valley, Deep Rock Galactic, Grounded, DayZ, and Overcooked 2. The list rotates over time, the same way other Game Pass tiers do. Day-one releases are not included. If you want new titles on launch day, you still need Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
For someone who plays casually or who has not touched Game Pass before, the Starter Edition is a reasonable entry point. For dedicated Xbox players who already have Ultimate, the benefit is redundant and you will get more value from the reverse direction: claiming Discord Nitro through your Xbox subscription instead.
How to Claim Xbox Game Pass with Discord Nitro
If you are on standard Nitro ($9.99/month) and want to activate the Game Pass benefit, follow these steps:
- Open Discord and click the Direct Messages icon in the left sidebar.
- Select the Nitro Home tab at the top of the panel.
- Scroll down to the Nitro Rewards section.
- Find the Xbox Game Pass card and click Claim.
- A window will open prompting you to sign in to or create a Microsoft account.
- Follow the on-screen steps to link your Microsoft account and activate the Starter Edition.
Discord is rolling out access gradually by region, so if you do not see the card yet, check back over the following two weeks. The rollout is expected to be complete across supported regions by late May 2026.
How Xbox Game Pass Subscribers Claim Discord Nitro
The deal runs in both directions. If you are already an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can claim a Discord Nitro subscription through the Xbox Benefits Hub at no extra cost.
- Open the Xbox app on your console, PC, or mobile device.
- Go to the Game Pass membership page.
- Select My Benefits.
- Scroll through the Benefits Hub and find the Discord Nitro offer.
- Claim the code and redeem it in your Discord account settings.
This gives Game Pass Ultimate subscribers access to full Discord Nitro perks, including server boosts and all the standard Nitro features, at no additional cost.
Is It Worth Upgrading from Nitro Basic to Get Game Pass?
The price gap between Nitro Basic and standard Nitro is $7 per month. Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition, if purchased on its own, would likely retail for a few dollars per month as a standalone product, though Microsoft has not set a separate price for it yet. Bundled into Nitro at the current pricing, the upgrade effectively adds a games library on top of the existing Nitro feature set for $7 more.
If you play games regularly on PC or console and do not already have any Game Pass subscription, the upgrade is worth considering. If you only use Discord for chatting and have no interest in gaming, the $7 difference buys you features you will not use.
Nitro Basic subscribers who want the Game Pass benefit need to upgrade their plan through Discord’s subscription settings. There is no workaround or trial path that makes the Starter Edition available on the Basic tier. The Nitro Rewards program is, by design, a reason to pay for the full Nitro plan.