Xbox could launch an ad-free cloud gaming tier soon — here’s what we’ve heard

Ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming could be coming soon. As The Verge’s Tom Warren posted on X just before the weekend, some Xbox users started seeing notifications on the Xbox app that said: “1-hour of ad-supported play time per session.” We don’t yet know when this free tier could launch, but it could be soon.

As Warren also reported on The Verge, Microsoft has been testing ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming for months and is preparing to test it with Xbox Insiders. The Xbox app notification aligns with Microsoft’s testing. Warren says that, so far, the testing has been limited to one-hour play sessions, and that users will get up to five hours free per month.

The internal testing features two minutes of preroll ads before you’re able to play from a selection of games. This free version will let you stream games you own and Free Play Days games over a weekend. The report also says Xbox Retro Classics will have preroll ads.

Another report from The Verge details how Microsoft told The New York Times that it was officially testing ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming. So while we don’t yet have a blog post from Xbox Wire or another Microsoft blog announcing the ad-free service, it’s all but assuredly coming. According to Tom Warren, the announcement could be “in the coming weeks.”

Even if you have to deal with ads and a limited amount of play hours, an ad-free Xbox Cloud Gaming tier seems like a great way for folks without an Xbox Game Pass subscription to check the service out. Though it has been some years since I’ve used Xbox Cloud Gaming, it worked remarkably well, even with spotty hotel Wi-Fi. My colleagues say it still runs great and is a nice alternative to playing on an Xbox or PC if you’re on the road.

If this report is accurate, then we could be hearing more from Xbox very soon. To that end, make sure you come back to read our report and our hands-on take on the ad-free Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Stay tuned!

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