Microsoft is testing free, ad-supported cloud gaming for Xbox Insiders
Microsoft is testing a free, ad-supported cloud gaming tier for Xbox Insiders that allows users to stream games they already own. This move follows a broader industry trend of incorporating ad-supported tiers into subscription services.
Why it matters
This experiment signals a potential shift in the gaming industry toward ad-supported models, aiming to increase accessibility to cloud gaming while offsetting costs for the provider.
Xbox Insiders can stream games from their libraries for free in ad-supported streaming sessions starting today. The free streaming sessions are limited to games you already own, and sessions are capped at one hour. However, ads will only play “before sessions begin.” It’s also optional — you won’t need to watch ads if you have a paid cloud gaming subscription.
Microsoft says the ad-supported streaming option will only be available for a limited time during a “test period.” It previously began internally testing an ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming late last year, with sources telling The Verge at the time that the test included about two minutes of preroll ads before streaming sessions.
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