Xbox has started to test a new ad-supported tier for its cloud streaming service. Currently, this new tier is only available to Xbox Insiders and will have session limits of one hour across supported devices and regions. While the core gameplay experience won’t change, they will get ads before a play session begins.
Not all games will be available to stream, however, and players will need to buy and own games. Since this ad-supported service is expected to be entirely separate from the company’s Game Pass subscription service, the fact that it lacks a built-in library of games shouldn’t be too surprising.
Xbox has also noted that the ad-supported cloud streaming service is completely optional, and that players can continue to play the games they own through other means, like a console or PC. Supported games include 2026 releases like Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light along with older titles.
Offering further details on how the advertisement system will work, the company has noted that it has no plans to interrupt the flow of gameplay during a session. Ads are also supposed to meet “the same quality bar as our content”, and are going to be clear about what they’re selling. The company also wants to make sure that ads shown to a player fit that player’s needs and platform.
“Advertising has existed in gaming for decades, from in-game placements to free-to-play models,” explains the company. “But it hasn’t always been built with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access. It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play.”
As is always the case with new features being tested out by Xbox, Insiders can offer feedback through the Player Voice platform that was introduced earlier this year. Xbox Insiders also have a subreddit for discussions and feedback.
This announcement comes after rumors from earlier this year indicated that Microsoft was going to launch ad-supported cloud streaming this year. At the time, reports also indicated that this would have nothing to do with Game Pass, and that the ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming is going to be available freely for anyone who has access to a compatible device.
Microsoft had confirmed that it was internally testing a free tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming supported through ads back in October 2025, following shortly after its incredibly controversial decision to raise the price for Game Pass subscriptions. The report also indicated that players would get a total of five 1-hour sessions each month, and that pre-roll ads would be around two minutes long. The statement came after rumors indicated that the ad-supported tier was in the works.
Xbox introduced the ability for players to access games they own through cloud streaming all the way back in November 2024. Before this, the only titles available through the service were the Game Pass catalogue. Since then, the company has worked on making more Xbox Series X/S and PC games playable through cloud gaming.
