Free Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for students — but is it better than a MacBook Neo?

SAVE $625: College students can score one year of Microsoft 365 Premium, one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a Xbox Wireless Controller totally free with the purchase of a Windows 11 laptop.

With the arrival of Apple's MacBook Neo, college students can rejoice in an affordable, colorful laptop. Now, Microsoft is rushing to make their laptops a little more enticing to the college crowd.

They're doing a pretty good job with the ultimate college bundle. With the purchase of a new Windows 11 laptop, students score one year of Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, plus a free Xbox wireless controller. That's $624.86 worth of product that students get completely free.

Microsoft 365 Premium is usually $199.99 for a one-year subscription, and includes access to all the essential Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It also features cloud storage and advanced security to keep your papers organized and safe. But college shouldn't be all work and no play.

For some well-earned downtime, one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is included too. That's access to over 500 games on Xbox consoles and PCs. Not to mention, you'll receive a free wireless Xbox controller for all your gaming needs.

To get the bundle, all you need to do is shop a qualifying Windows 11 laptop, which are available at Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Microsoft. Qualifying devices include the Microsoft Surface and Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 laptops.

How to redeem ultimate college bundle

Once you purchase your laptop, you'll have to redeem your offer. After setting up the device, an on-screen notification will pop up asking students to verify their student status. This requires a .edu college email address.

After your student status is verified, students will receive an email to redeem their Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft 365 Premium subscriptions. Additionally, they'll receive a unique promo code to redeem a custom controller within three days of verifying their student status.