One of Game Pass Ultimate's best features is finally coming to PC Game Pass, but there's a major catch

Microsoft is kicking off the new year with some news on a big Game Pass Ultimate feature that may have been overshadowed in recent years. Game Pass Quests offers a fairly straightforward way of earning points for checking out Game Pass titles.

These points can later be used to buy games and DLC, enter sweepstakes, and unlock other rewards. Until now, however, Quests has only been available on Xbox consoles and not PC. This is finally changing.

Microsoft today announced a few changes to Game Pass Quests, and the points associated with them. To start with, Game Pass Quests, previously available for Ultimate members on consoles, is expanding to PC Game Pass.

Game Pass Quests has long been appreciated by dedicated subscribers, because it gives them a reason to download newly-added games, and check out genres they may not otherwise. The more Quests are completed, the more points are earned, which carry real-world monetary value. Granted, the feature is only available in select countries, but there’s some good news there, too.

Starting tomorrow, January 7, PC Game Pass members will be able to access Quests. This also means that Ultimate (which includes both console and PC) members will have another platform where they can earn Rewards on. Quests launches in Japan on the same day, too.

There are, however, a few caveats to keep in mind. First, earning Rewards points will now be limited to players 18 years or older. As a result, children and anyone with a managed account will no longer have access to the Rewards Hub, though they will continue to earn points through “parentally approved purchases of eligible items on the Microsoft Store, eligible searches on Microsoft Bing and other non-gameplay activities.” Existing point balances won’t be touched, so that’s good, at least.

The biggest hurdle for PC Game Pass, however, is that only games that don’t require a third-party launcher will count towards your progress, or have Quests associated with them to begin with. That includes all launchers, even Blizzard’s Battlenet, despite being part of the same company.

Microsoft has also made it so Quests will now require a minimum playtime, meaning you’ll no longer earn points for downloading and launching games. This is part of a larger revamp to the whole system that includes some extra Quests, and a rotating set of daily, weekly, and monthly bonuses. In general, there are more ways to earn, but the quests themselves will require a little more effort.

If you’ve never messed with Quests before, getting started is pretty simple. You’ll find them in the Rewards Hub on your Xbox, or within the Xbox app on PC and mobile. The more Quests you complete, the more points you accrue. Once you’ve collected enough, return to the Rewards Hub to claim them for Xbox gift cards and other rewards.