Gaming is starting to look more and more like Netflix: Instead of buying a disc at the store and popping it in at home, you have a bevy of services from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nvidia, and even Netflix itself. Services provide access to tons of games for a monthly price, or allow you to stream them without the need for a long download. Between Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, PS Plus Premium, Nintendo Switch Online, and everything else, it's hard to know what's worth paying for. Let's break it all down. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. For $10 per month (or $60 per year), you can play online multiplayer. Without a subscription, you can play only single-player games offline. PS Plus also sweetens the deal by giving you at least two free games each...
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