Microsoft Files Patent Which Could Bring Game-Pausing Ads To Xbox

Microsoft has filed a patent focused on injecting in-game ads at predictable times during gameplay.

The filing , titled 'Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access', describes the process of suspending your game and running "promoted audiovisual content to the user". In laymen's terms, this means ad breaks, which would award you with a credit upon completion. These credits would then act as a token to extend access to the game for a limited amount of time, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour.

Not ideal, however, before we flip a table or two, it's worth stating this doesn't mean it's absolutely going to happen. Microsoft has a history for filing patents that never go anywhere. And, if they do end up happening, they could take a lot of time. We're only now reaping the benefits of a patent filed back in 2022 for what is now Xbox's disc-to-digital.