According to new reports, Microsoft is preparing to introduce an ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming. Sources from The Verge indicate that the company is currently conducting internal testing of this streaming service tier among its employees before it potentially becomes available to the general public.
This free, ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming will reportedly allow users to stream some of the games they already own, along with selected titles from the “Free Play Days” promotion, which offers access to certain games on weekends at no extra cost. Xbox Retro Classics titles might also be included.
Regarding the advertisements themselves, the current iteration involves a two-minute pre-roll ad before a game starts. The report also mentions potential streaming limitations, such as sessions capped at one hour each and an overall limit of five hours of free gameplay per month. These terms are subject to change before the program`s official launch, if it proceeds at all.
The ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming is reportedly being developed for PC, Xbox consoles, handheld devices, and web browsers. Even before this report, an industry analyst suggested that Microsoft might offer users the ability to play games for free in exchange for watching ads.
The introduction of such an ad-supported tier comes as no surprise, as Xbox head Tim Stuart hinted at it some time ago. In August of this year, Xbox boss Jason Ronald discussed the evolution of Xbox Cloud Gaming, stating in a podcast that Microsoft was looking for ways to make the service “more affordable” and “accessible,” and lowering the price to zero dollars aligns with this ambition.
GameSpot has reached out to Microsoft for further comments.
Earlier this week, Xbox Cloud Gaming exited its beta phase, introducing several improvements. Additionally, Microsoft announced that the highest-quality streaming, 1440p, will now be exclusively available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, whose monthly fee recently increased to $30.
It`s worth noting that back in 2012, Square Enix launched a similar ad-supported game streaming service called Coreonline, but discontinued it 15 months later due to a lack of player engagement.
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