Xbox to launch free ad-supported cloud gaming — Game Pass not required

Tom Warren, an editor at The Verge, reported that Xbox is trialing a new ad-supported cloud service. The offering would let players stream a limited selection of games without a Game Pass subscription.

Microsoft recently raised prices on its consoles and bumped the cost of Game Pass Ultimate to $30, a move that drew criticism from gamers. The company is preparing an alternative: free access to Xbox Cloud Gaming is expected to arrive soon.

Microsoft intends to make cloud gaming a central part of its gaming strategy over the coming years, and this initiative is one of the steps toward that objective.

Launched in 2018, xCloud now serves over 10 million users. The Verge reports that internal testing of the new project is already underway, with plans for an ad-supported tier that will cover a restricted catalogue of streamable titles.

The package is said to include Free Play Days selections and Xbox Retro Classics. Sources indicate single-session limits are being trialed, and users would receive five hours of free play per month; those limits may be adjusted before the official rollout. A public beta is expected in the near future.

All of this forms part of a broad overhaul of Game Pass that could substantially reshape the service and its existing audience in the coming months.

Source: iXBT.games