Xbox has rolled out its new Xbox Cloud Gaming model. Players can now stream for free with ads, buy ad-free Cloud Playtime in hour packs, or use a monthly allotment of hours included with Xbox Game Pass. The official Xbox account announced the change yesterday at 11:00 AM MST. Check out the official post down below:
The 3 Ways To Stream
Xbox's updated Cloud Gaming page lists 3 options, and the first doesn't need a subscription or a purchase of cloud time:
- Free with ads: stream eligible games at no cost with ad-supported cloud gaming. Session limits apply.
- Cloud Playtime packs: buy ad-free hours through the Xbox Store, with or without Game Pass.
- Game Pass hours: eligible Game Pass plans include a set number of cloud hours each month.
Cloud Playtime Prices
The Cloud Playtime packs come in 3 sizes:
- 10 hours: $3.99
- 25 hours: $7.99
- 50 hours: $11.99
When Xbox opened Cloud Playtime to Xbox Insiders for testing on October 21, it said the packs provide an ad-free experience with shorter wait times and high-quality streaming. Purchased hours stay in the account until they are used.
How Many Hours Game Pass Includes
The monthly cloud hours by Game Pass plan are:
- Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours per month
- Game Pass Premium: 10 hours per month
- Game Pass Essential: 5 hours per month
According to Xbox's FAQ, Game Pass hours are used first and reset every month, and unused hours don't roll over. Once they run out, players can switch to purchased Cloud Playtime or to the free ad-supported option. Hours from more than one Game Pass subscription don't stack, but purchased Cloud Playtime can be used on top of a plan's monthly hours.
The free tier began as a test for Xbox Insiders on July 23. In the Xbox Wire post announcing the test, Xbox said ads play before a session begins, the core game experience is unchanged, and the ad-supported option is optional. Insiders in the test had 1-hour session limits, and Xbox did not list a public session length on its Cloud Gaming page. Xbox also said it would "not interrupt the flow of gameplay" with ads and would be "clear about what's advertising."
Why Xbox Made The Change
Xbox first laid out the plan in an Xbox Wire post on September 3. Before the change, eligible Game Pass subscribers could stream without monthly hour limits. Xbox said it expected the new caps to affect 4% of Game Pass subscribers, explaining that "the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer." The company added, "We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost."
The same post said Cloud Playtime can give Xbox One owners access to eligible games built for Xbox Series X|S without an immediate hardware upgrade, and said this can be useful in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.
What You Can Play And Where
Cloud gaming covers select games players own, supported free-to-play games and cloud-playable games included with their Game Pass plan. The game list varies by region, device, Game Pass plan and how the player is paying for cloud time. Xbox lists supported Xbox consoles, PCs, smart TVs, phones, tablets, handhelds and VR headsets as devices that can stream, and cloud saves keep progress in sync across screens.
Xbox says streaming needs no full download and lets players run select new-generation games on older consoles or PCs.
Xbox Wire has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI comes to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S through Xbox Cloud Gaming on November 19, the same day the game launches. Pre-loading is already open on consoles, as covered in GTA 6 Now Available To Pre-Load On PS5 And Xbox Ahead Of November 19 Release.
Will you stick with the free ad-supported option, buy Cloud Playtime packs, or rely on the hours included with Game Pass?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.