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If you mostly play online multiplayer games, like Halo or Gears of War, Game Pass Essential is right for you. You're largely paying for access to play online multiplayer and the ability to play games on PC, cloud and console platforms with this plan. Microsoft also lets you stream some owned games via Xbox Cloud Gaming, like Baldur's Gate 3. So Essential could be a good option if you don't want to buy a new, more expensive console, but you still have the option to play games on your smart TV or PC. 

People who only play on PC. It may not feature every game in the Game Pass library, but PC Game Pass does bring new games to the service every month, including a host of Day 1 releases.

Gamers who don't mind waiting a little longer to play some games. While you might not be able to play major games on Day 1, you'll be able to play them later. Given the $15 price tag, this is a nice middle option for gamers.

People who want to play the most games and get access to the latest games each month. The price -- and its potential to increase in the future -- might send people to other plans. If you're feeling uncertain around the price -- like I am -- you can always treat this plan like a rental service. You can strategically subscribe during certain months to play new games you're interested in and then unsubscribe in other months to save money.