You can enjoy Xbox games at no cost if you're okay with viewing advertisements.
You can view some advertisements and enjoy an hour of gameplay!
Xbox Wire
If you're interested in Xbox Cloud Gaming but prefer not to commit to a monthly subscription, Microsoft might have an appealing solution for you. The company is currently testing a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox Insiders, enabling eligible players to stream select games they already own without needing a Game Pass subscription.
However, prior to starting your session, you will need to watch a brief advertisement. According to Microsoft, these ads won't disrupt gameplay, serving as an early trial to see if this model can make cloud gaming more accessible.
How does the free Xbox cloud gaming system operate?
Xbox Wire
The trial is exclusively available to Xbox Insiders and includes a range of supported games that players already possess. Each cloud gaming session is capped at an hour. After your session concludes, you can initiate another one, provided you watch another short advertisement beforehand.
Microsoft has also delineated five principles that will govern the experiment. Ads will only be displayed prior to a session and will not affect the availability of games. The company assures players that they will always understand why they are viewing advertisements, and the overall experience will not be inundated with marketing.
If you have a Game Pass subscription, your experience remains unchanged. This trial aims at players wishing to try Xbox Cloud Gaming without a monthly commitment, giving Microsoft insight into how users respond to this new approach.
Ny Zoltán / Pexels
Why is Microsoft pursuing a free streaming option?
This trial comes at a challenging time for Xbox. The prices of consoles are increasing, and Xbox recently raised prices by as much as $150 depending on the model. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has acknowledged that the business is struggling, citing narrow profit margins and referring to this period as the most significant reorganization in Xbox's history, with substantial layoffs.
The future of ad-supported streaming depends on the results of this test. For the moment, it's a small but meaningful indication of how Xbox might strive to keep gaming accessible as hardware prices continue to rise.
Manisha Priyadarshini is a tech and entertainment writer with more than nine years in editorial experience.
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You can enjoy Xbox games at no cost if you're okay with viewing advertisements.
Microsoft is trialing a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Insiders, allowing them to stream their owned games for one-hour sessions in exchange for watching advertisements.