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Microsoft is testing a new way of making Xbox Cloud Gaming available. The company has started trials of a free model in which access to cloud gaming is possible without subscribing to Game Pass. Instead of a monthly fee, users watch a short advert before starting a session. The company emphasises that adverts will not be shown during gameplay. Currently the solution is being rolled out only to selected participants in the Xbox Insider programme. The test aims to show whether this model will attract interest from players.
Free gaming in exchange for watching an advert
The new version of Xbox Cloud Gaming allows users to launch selected games they own without an active Game Pass subscription. Each session can last up to one hour. After it ends, players can start another session by watching a short advert. Microsoft says adverts will be shown only before a game begins and will never interrupt play. The company also emphasises that adverts will not affect the availability of individual titles or restrict the choice of games. Users will also receive clear information about why they are seeing adverts and how the programme's rules work. Nothing changes for current Game Pass subscribers, as the test is aimed solely at people who do not have a paid subscription.
Microsoft seeks new ways to grow Xbox Cloud Gaming
The experiment appears amid major changes in the Xbox division. Microsoft recently raised console prices, and company representatives have openly admitted that the hardware segment is facing a difficult financial situation. A test of a free, ad-supported model could be an attempt to attract new users to cloud services without requiring a subscription. At the same time the company wants to see how players will react to that method of funding the service. If the experiment proves successful, it is possible that a similar option will be made available to a larger number of users. For now Microsoft has not said when the tests might be expanded or whether the free variant will be offered to all players. The current phase is intended primarily to provide data on user behaviour and the viability of the new model. It is another example of the growing importance of cloud gaming in Xbox's strategy.
Microsoft is testing free access to Xbox Cloud Gaming in exchange for watching a short advert before starting a game. The solution does not require a Game Pass subscription and could become an alternative for people who want to try cloud gaming without additional costs. For now the feature remains available exclusively to participants in the Xbox Insider programme.
source: digitaltrends
