Microsoft may be preparing to launch its unannounced ad-supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming. In-app messages referencing “ad-supported playtime” have been spotted over the weekend.
In one such case, The Verge‘s Tom Warren witnessed the reference to a 1-hour fee playtime session being supported by ads. Warren provided a screenshot of the message on X (formerly Twitter). As of the time of writing, Microsoft has not made a formal announcement of an ad-supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
That said, last year, the company was reportedly testing this tier. At the time, internal tests were reported to have been taking place with Microsoft employees able to stream select games without a Game Pass subscription. With an ad-supported tier in place, users will have to sit through approximately two minutes of ads before the game becomes accessible.
From there, players will have access to a one-hour playtime session. According to earlier reports, Microsoft will cap players at up to five hours of playtime per month. However, that could change before launch. The ad-supported tier is expected to launch across PC, Xbox consoles, handheld devices, and browsers.
As for the gaming library on the ad-supported tier, it’s believed that Microsoft will make games the user already owns available to stream. Free Play Days games may also be available alongside Xbox Retro Classics. There’s no mention of titles within the Xbox Game Pass catalogue, however.
The arrival of the in-app messages comes at an interesting time. Xbox is preparing to host its Developer Direct showcase on Thursday, January 22. While focusing on developers like Fable and Forza Horizon 6′s Playground Games, the company may release an announcement separately following the livestream.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
