Microsoft announced last month that it would allow everyone to access Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, without needing to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. The new pay-as-you-go model will require players to purchase cloud hour bundles, and Microsoft is revealing today that bundles will start at $3.99 for 10 hours of cloud gaming.
Xbox Insiders who don’t have a Game Pass subscription will be able to start purchasing cloud gaming time today, ahead of a wider rollout next month. Insiders can access “introductory” introductory pricing bundles:
All of these cloud hours will include ad-free cloud gaming, shorter wait times, and higher quality streaming. These are also not monthly bundles of hours, so once you purchase a bundle, it remains available until the hours are used.
Xbox Cloud Gaming’s pay-as-you-go option is coming just in time for Grand Theft Auto VI. I reported earlier this month that Microsoft had secured Grand Theft Auto VI streaming rights, but it’s not yet clear whether this will be limited to just Xbox consoles. Matthew Ball, Xbox’s chief strategy officer, revealed on X that Microsoft won’t be streaming Grand Theft Auto VI to PCs, suggesting that web browsers and apps that can typically access Xbox Cloud Gaming won’t be able to stream Grand Theft Auto VI.
Microsoft also continues to test free, ad-supported cloud games for Xbox Insiders, providing another way to stream games without Game Pass. Free streaming sessions are limited to games you already own and sessions are limited to one hour.
Gn tech
