Xbox Testing Option to Stream Games for Free With Pre Roll Ads

Xbox Insiders can begin experiencing a brand-new way to stream games they own for free with ads. This new feature provides a free alternative to using Xbox’s cloud gaming services through a Game Pass subscription.

As Xbox states, ads will run prior to a gaming session. Players will be able to stream games they own for free over the course of a one-hour-long session. The company is quick to note that ads will not run during actual gameplay to ensure “the core game experience is unchanged”. Once an hour-long gaming session concludes, players can reenter the queue, watch another block of ads and stream for a new hour-long window.

The ad-supported method is entirely optional, Xbox reaffirms. Players can choose other ways to play, whether it’s paid cloud streaming via Xbox Game Pass or downloading their games to a console or PC.

Xbox believes that introducing this option, cloud gaming, can help provide options to players who may not be able to afford new hardware. “That can be especially meaningful in places where consoles are harder to find or less affordable, giving more players another way to access great games on devices they already have,” the company says.

When it comes to its ads, Xbox says it is standing by five rules. These include:

• “We start with the player. Ads should create value.”
• “We do not interrupt the flow of gameplay.”
• “We hold ads to the same quality bar as our content.”
• “We’re clear about what’s advertising.”
• “We make sure ads fit what players expect on each platform.”

“When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access,” the company says in its blog post. “It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play.”

Xbox will use this Insider testing phase to listen to feedback and improve support. “We’ll learn from this test and continue to improve it based on how players use it and what they tell us.”