Microsoft is testing a new way to sell cloud gaming: selectable, ad-free playtime that players can buy without a Game Pass subscription, the company and PCMag report.
How the pilot works
Selected members of the Xbox Insider program can purchase blocks of cloud playtime to stream Xbox games on supported devices, Microsoft says and PCMag reports. The initial pricing for the preview is:
- $3.99 for 10 hours
- $7.99 for 25 hours
- $11.99 for 50 hours
Microsoft said the packs work out to roughly 40 cents an hour for the 10-hour bundle, 32 cents an hour for the 25-hour pack and 24 cents an hour for the 50-hour pack. Hours purchased do not expire and will roll over month to month, the company said.
Eligibility, limits and rollout
Microsoft notes that availability, purchasing options, eligible games and cloud gaming features may vary by market, device, account eligibility and preview ring. Buying cloud playtime does not grant access to games a user does not already own or to titles that are not eligible for cloud play.
PCMag reports that purchasable playtime will begin a broader rollout in November for Xbox users. At the same time, Microsoft plans new monthly cloud streaming allotments for Game Pass subscribers: 15 hours per month for Game Pass Ultimate, 10 hours for Game Pass Premium and 5 hours for Game Pass Essential.
Context and recent changes
The move follows Microsoft’s decision earlier this year to cap cloud playtime for Game Pass subscribers; until September the company had not limited subscribers’ cloud streaming. The new pay-by-the-hour option is part of a staggered expansion of Xbox’s cloud offering for users without Game Pass, Microsoft says.
- Insider preview: available to Xbox Insider program members at no cost to join
- Purchase limits: hours purchased do not expire and roll over
- Game eligibility: must already own or have access to an eligible game to stream it
The company asks Insiders to share feedback during the preview. Microsoft’s announcement frames the offering as an alternative path to cloud play for people who do not subscribe to Game Pass, while retaining separate monthly cloud caps for Game Pass tiers when the new rules take effect in November.
