Microsoft reportedly preparing an ad-supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming

Just days after announcing a controversial price hike of up to 50% for its Xbox Game Pass service, a new report suggests Microsoft is preparing to launch a new, free tier for its cloud gaming platform. According to insiders, the company is internally testing an ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, with a public beta expected in the coming months.

The report from The Verge claims that this free-to-play option would not provide access to the whole Game Pass library. Instead, it would allow users to stream some of the games they already own, alongside select game trials from Xbox Free Play Days and titles from the Xbox Retro Classics collection. This aligns with comments made by Microsoft CFO Tim Stuart back in 2023, who openly discussed the possibility of an ad-supported tier.

This news comes at a sensitive time for the service. With the recent price hike also introducing longer queue times and lower streaming resolutions for the lower-tiered Game Pass plans, it's safe to assume this free version will come with its own significant limitations, both in terms of stream quality and potential playtime restrictions.

One question that remains unanswered is how this will affect PC Game Pass subscribers, whose plan is the only one that currently lacks any form of cloud gaming access. It's unclear if this ad-supported tier will become their only way to access the cloud, a point of confusion that highlights the increasingly complex nature of the Game Pass offerings. While ‘free' is an appealing price point, the move is being viewed with some scepticism by a community still reeling from the recent price increases.

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KitGuru says: Would you like it if Microsoft offered an ad-supported free cloud gaming service?

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