Amongst Xbox’s numerous PR fires last year was the issue of Game Pass pricing. In the middle of Fall 2025, subscribers to the service became outraged over a sharp increase in prices. Jumping to $29.99 a month proved to be too much for many gamers, to the point that the cancellation page on the Game Pass website was overloaded. Now, more than three months later, it seems Xbox is trying a different tact to increase their subscription revenue.
Free Gaming…With a Catch
As Tom Warren at the Verge reports, Microsoft is aiming to release an ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming sometime this year. The service would allow users to stream games they already own without any sort of subscription, provided they sit through a pregame ad roll. Additionally, select titles would be available through Free Play Days, and Game Pass users can access Xbox’s retro collection. The service would be available on Xbox consoles, PC, handhelds, and the web.
As Warren reports, Microsoft is currently testing the nitty gritty of advertising and session length. Current tests are focused around two minutes of ads, with one hour per cloud gaming session for the free tier. Such players would only have around five hours a month, good enough for some, but paltry for dedicated gamers. To note, these limits are not confirmed and may change before the service launches.
Xbox’s Cloud Gaming functionality has been in beta for six years, only recently enjoying a full release. Microsoft is looking to capitalize on it soon, possibly to make up for lost subscriptions after the Game Pass price hikes. Those interested should keep their eyes open for a public beta in the near future.
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