Microsoft is gearing up to announce an ad-based version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, according to a new report. The Verge’s sources said Microsoft is now testing an ad tier for the streaming service, with employees trying it out now before it may launch publicly for everyone.
The report said the free ad-based tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming will allow players to stream “some” of the games they already own, along with select titles from the “Free Play Days” promotion that allows people to play select titles on weekends at no cost. Xbox Retro Classics titles may be included, too.
In terms of the ads themselves, the report said the current iteration has people watching two minutes of preroll ads before jumping into a game. The report also mentioned that there could be streaming limitations, including a cutoff of one-hour sessions each and up to five hours for free each month. It’s possible things change before the ad-based program goes live, if it does at all.
The Xbox Cloud Gaming version with ads is said to be in the works for PC, Xbox, handheld devices, and internet browsers. Prior to this report, an industry analyst said Microsoft might look at offering people the ability to play games for free in exchange for watching ads.
An ad-based tier is no surprise, as Xbox boss Tim Stuart first hinted at it some time ago. In August this year, Xbox boss Jason Ronald teased an evolution of Xbox Cloud Gaming, saying on a podcast that Microsoft was looking for a way to make the service “more affordable” and “accessible,” and dropping the price to $0 is in line with that ambition.
GameSpot has contacted Microsoft in an attempt to get more details.
Earlier this week, Xbox Cloud Gaming left beta and added more improvements. Additionally, Microsoft announced that the highest-quality streaming, 1440p, will be locked behind the Game Pass Ultimate paywall, and the price just went up to $30/month.
Back in 2012, Square Enix launched an ad-based streaming game service called Coreonline before killing it off 15 months later due to a lack of uptake from players.
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