Game Pass Too Pricey? Xbox’s Free Cloud Gaming Could Be Their Secret Comeback Play

The recent changes to Xbox Game Pass have been anything but a welcoming news for players. The price hike and restructuring of subscription tiers left many wondering if the service still delivers on its value. While Xbox Cloud Gaming has long been here, it’s one that not many players actively use.

But it seems like Microsoft is very keen on changing that. A new report suggests the company is testing internally to launch a free, ad-supported version of Cloud Gaming. This highlights a desire to make the service more accessible than ever. But fans remain skeptical.

Inside Microsoft’s Plan: Free Xbox Cloud Gaming With Ads

According to a recent report (via TheVerge), Microsoft has been testing an ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming internally for some time now. And they might be planning to open a public beta soon.

This service would allow players to stream select owned titles, eligible Free Play Days games, and Xbox Retro Classics without a Game Pass subscription (similar to how it is in NVIDIA’s GeForce Now). The report also shared that to access games, players would need to sit through about two minutes of ads.

However, this is not the biggest restriction of the free tier; the report highlights that the service will only allow one-hour play sessions a day, capped at five hours a month. It will be available on PC, Xbox consoles, handhelds, and browsers.

While the limits might frustrate core gamers, it signals Microsoft’s attempt to offer a taste of cloud gaming to those who can’t or don’t want to pay monthly fees for the service.

Gamers Skeptical of Microsoft’s Free Cloud Gaming With Ads

Gamers’ reaction to the reported free cloud tier has leaned heavily skeptical. Many see the one-hour session limit and five-hour monthly cap, a little too restrictive and are outright dismissing it as just a new way for players to demo games with ads.

On the other hand, some worry that this could be a huge downfall, as Microsoft is testing the waters before introducing ads into paid Game Pass tiers. With the recent price hikes and the comparisons to GeForce Now’s free plan, which offers far more playtime, fans are anything but worried.

Microsoft is about to launch free Xbox Cloud Gaming with ads
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Still, not everyone is entirely opposed to the idea. It could be one of the ways to get introduced to cloud gaming, which is still a far way from being mainstream. Some argue that the two minutes of preroll ads would have been tolerable if it meant a chance to try out games for free for a longer time.

However, with 5 hours a month, it’s too restrictive, particularly for players who can’t afford Game Pass or full-priced titles. While doubts far outweigh the optimism, this free cloud option could still serve as a free gateway for newcomers to Xbox’s ecosystem.

Would you be willing to sit through ads if it meant playing Xbox games for free? Let us know in the comments below.