Microsoft may be pressing ahead with an ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming experience launching this year, judging by new evidence posted during the weekend.
The recent rumours have intensified after The Verge’s Tom Warren posted an image of a Cloud Gaming screen with the small print showing the message “1 hours of ad-supported playtime per session.”
This could signify the mighty Microsoft is planning to offer some titles to gamers without charging a subscription fee, provided they’re content to put up with a few commercials along the way.
However, over the weekend, Windows Central followed up by suggesting its sources, the message may have been received in error by some gamers. Instead, the ads may designed for gamers to stream their own games without the need for a game-pass subscription. Currently, the ‘stream your own game’ initiative is limited to those who have Game Pass subscriptions. Offering the option to do so with just a few advertisements would be a happy middle ground.
Considering Microsoft recently upped the subscription rates to a whopping $23/$30 per month for the top tier Ultimate subscription, some gamers may appreciate the ability to log in and play a bit without an expensive subscription The company wouldn’t be the first gaming facilitator to go down this route. Nvidia has done the same with sponsored streams on the GeForce Now platform.
