Just three months ago we declared it the best time to be a subscriber to the EA Access service on Xbox One. The “Vault” which includes the back catalog of titles from publisher Electronic Arts included last year’s entire crop of sports games such as Madden NFL 16 and FIFA 16 plus many other high-profile games. Since then SSX, Need for Speed, and Unravel have joined them.

There’s no doubt that EA Access is well worth the $30 a year just to get all those games. However with sports fans in mind, the relevance of last year’s titles is about to expire, and that means what the service offers for the upcoming games becomes the primary reason to subscribe whether it’s just for a single month for $5 or the entire year.

10 hour trials will once again be offered with Madden NFL 17, NHL 17, and FIFA 17 that begin likely on the Wednesday before they release. Those trials will remain open to subscribers even beyond release, acting as a demo of sorts, but of course the main draw is in getting to play the games extensively and in full before they can be purchased.

While the time limit does in some ways change how the games are approached and played – the ticking down clock in the back of one’s mind is always present – 10 hours is plenty of time to determine the quality of the games and whether they are worth a purchase or just to get a jump start on your Franchise or Ultimate Team.

The 10% discount on all digital purchases means spending on Ultimate Team is a little easier on the wallet than for those on PlayStation 4. Unfortunately Sony remains staunch in preventing the service from being offered on the system ceding a huge selling point to Xbox One.