Verizon offering up to a year of free Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass — how to get it

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Verizon gifts gaming with Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass

Apple Arcade Verizon
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Verizon Unlimited customers already have access to Disney Plus, Discovery Plus and Apple Music, but now there's something for gaming fans. Starting May 25, those with either Unlimited, Play More or Get More plans will get either Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass added, free of charge.

Here's how to take advantage of this promo. Unlimited customers will get either gaming service for six months, while Play More and Get More customers will get twelve months. Verizon is aiming to court gamers by pitching its wireless 5G Ultra Wideband as best for gaming, assuming you live in a serviceable area with good signal strength. 

For individual customers, Unlimited, Play More and Get more cost $70, $80 and $90 respectively. The latter two have unlimited hot spot with tethering, at either 15GB or 30GB, and both include the Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus) as well as twelve months of Discovery Plus. Play More customers get six months of Apple Music while Get More customers gain a continuously running subscription. Unlimited customers, by comparison, only get six months of the Disney Bundle.

Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass are essentially subscription gaming services similar to Xbox Game Pass. Each service costs $5 a month, and offers a selection of games ready for download at any time. Some notable Apple Arcade titles include NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, The Oregon Trail and Fantasian. That last title is produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series. Apple Arcade includes more than 180 games, with more titles being added weekly.

Google Play Pass extends beyond gaming. While it does include popular titles like Stardew Valley, Monument Valley 2 and Terraria, it also bundles in apps such as Photo Studio Pro, Floor Plan Creator and Password Safe. Even though Apple has been able to reel in some strong exclusives, Google's Play Pass, by comparison, offers greater value at over 800 games and apps for the same price. Of course, for some, the value of being able to play exclusives like Simon's Cat: Story Time or Star Trek: Legends is worth it over Google Play Pass.

While games can be played via touchscreen for both Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass, both offer controller support, like the ones found on our best Bluetooth controllers roundup. Controller support will vary on a game-by-game basis. 

Update:

Since publishing this original story, Verizon's new Apple Arcade and Google Play Plus promotion is now live. Head on over to Verizon's website to compare plans and see how much it will cost you and your family. 

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Imad Khan
Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.