Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming May Soon Let You Stream Your Own Games for Free - If You Watch Ads (windowscentral.com)
(Monday January 19, 2026 @05:22PM (msmash)
from the are-you-not-entertained dept.)
- Reference: 0180615770
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/26/01/19/1842246/microsofts-xbox-cloud-gaming-may-soon-let-you-stream-your-own-games-for-free---if-you-watch-ads
- Source link: https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xbox-cloud-gaming-will-get-an-ad-supported-tier-this-year-rumors-coalesce-after-ad-support-notices-appear-prematurely
Microsoft appears to be preparing an ad-supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming that would let players stream games they've purchased digitally without needing a Game Pass subscription, according to a Windows Central report citing sources familiar with the plans. Users last week [1]began noticing a new message pop up while launching cloud games that referenced "1 hour of ad supported play time per session," though no such tier currently exists.
The ad-supported option, expected to launch sometime this year, would specifically target the hundreds of games available for digital purchase through Xbox Cloud Gaming -- titles that currently require at least one tier of Game Pass to stream despite being owned outright by the player.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xbox-cloud-gaming-will-get-an-ad-supported-tier-this-year-rumors-coalesce-after-ad-support-notices-appear-prematurely
The ad-supported option, expected to launch sometime this year, would specifically target the hundreds of games available for digital purchase through Xbox Cloud Gaming -- titles that currently require at least one tier of Game Pass to stream despite being owned outright by the player.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xbox-cloud-gaming-will-get-an-ad-supported-tier-this-year-rumors-coalesce-after-ad-support-notices-appear-prematurely
What? (Score:5, Funny)
by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )
Microsoft hasn't renamed it to CoPilot Cloud Gaming yet?
people will actually watch the ads ? (Score:3, Insightful)
wow. I'd rather stab my eyes with rusty nails than watch ads for MS just to play my own games. People will probably actually pay for this service as well.