Xbox Cloud Gaming can become free: Microsoft launched a test with ads

Microsoft has begun testing a free model of Xbox Cloud Gaming with ads. At this stage, the innovation is available to members of the Xbox Insider program, and the game sessions themselves are time-limited.

The whole point is in advertising

Xbox Insiders have been given the ability to stream games from their own libraries for absolutely free. The main condition for the operation of this mode is the presence of advertising, which will be broadcast exclusively at the beginning of the session. It is worth noting that the free format works only with those games that the user has already purchased, and the maximum duration of one session should not exceed an hour.

Features and peculiarities of the new format

The company notes that cloud gaming can help owners of an older Xbox One console run newer games created specifically for the Xbox Series X/S, saving players the need to buy a new device. A test period with an advertising model will be available for a limited time. In previous internal testing, sources told The Verge, users were asked to watch about two minutes of commercials before starting a game session.

Should we count on a new format

The new format is primarily aimed at users who already have a library of purchased games, but there is no modern “iron” of the Xbox Series X/S level. Limitations in the form of one-hour sessions and viewing ads at the start make the feature a compromise solution that allows you to appreciate cloud gaming without signing up for a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.