Play FIFA 16 and Need for Speed Rivals for Free on Xbox One With Xbox Live Gold

From June 12 to June 22 Xbox One owners can play over 20 games from popular publisher EA for free. These include the likes of Battlefield 4, FIFA 16, and Need for Speed Rivals via the company's EA Access service for the Xbox One. However there's a catch. You'll need Xbox Live Gold - Microsoft's subscription service for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 that gives you access to online multiplayer, game discounts, and free games each month. Xbox Live Gold costs Rs. 350 for one month and Rs. 2,240 for the year. As for EA Access, it costs Rs. 315 for the month and Rs. 1,990 for the year.

"Xbox Live Gold members can get started by downloading the EA Access Hub App by clicking on the Gold Member area on the home dashboard. No credit card or sign up are needed," writes Xbox Director of Programming, Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.

Interestingly, this promotion, called EA Access Free Play Dayswon't let you take advantage of the service's key features - such as playing upcoming games and availing of a 10 percent discount.

"No, EA Access Free Play Days is a promotion for Xbox Live Gold subscribers on Xbox One that allows access to the EA Access Vault only. If participants want to take advantage of other EA Access benefits, like a 10-percent discount on all EA digital content and access to upcoming games before the release date for a limited time, they must purchase a full EA Access membership," reads the FAQ on the Xbox Support site.

When we evaluated the Xbox One a year after its India launch we deemed EA Access to be one of the compelling reasons to purchase the console. Programs like this showcase its worth, although we can't help but feel that it could be better implemented if the complete feature set of the service was made available for the duration of EA Access Free Play Days.