Microsoft is moving closer to launching a free, ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming, with recent app updates pointing to limits on playtime and mandatory advertising before sessions begin.
The company has already tested the service internally and is preparing a wider trial, following new references spotted in the Xbox app ahead of a rollout to Xbox Insiders.
Recent updates to the Xbox app include new loading screen text that references “one hour of ad-supported playtime per session,” indicating a defined limit for the free streaming option.
Those limits align with earlier internal testing, which reportedly capped individual sessions at one hour and restricted total free usage to several hours per month.
Advertising appears before gameplay begins
References within the app signal that the free tier will include pre-roll advertising before gameplay starts, rather than interrupting play mid-session once a stream is underway.
Earlier internal testing, first reported by The Verge, included around two minutes of ads shown before a game became available to stream, requiring users to watch advertisements before accessing free gameplay.
Microsoft plans to allow free users to stream select owned titles, participate in eligible Free Play Days events, and access a limited catalogue of Xbox Retro Classics under the ad-supported model.
The free tier limits session length and total usage, allowing Microsoft to offer access without removing existing subscription requirements for extended cloud gaming sessions.
Microsoft publicly confirmed it was testing an ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming last October, though it has not yet announced a full public launch or global availability.
Session limits and advertising language within the Xbox app indicate that Microsoft is moving beyond internal testing, though the company has not confirmed when broader trials will begin or how access will expand beyond the Xbox Insider programme.
Microsoft has not yet shared details on regional availability, supported devices, or whether the free tier will expand beyond its initial playtime limits.
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