Microsoft is in a pretty odd situation with the Xbox gaming ecosystem right now. Within a month, the company has raised the asking price of Xbox consoles, and the Xbox Game Pass subscription, too, by as much as 50% in the US. On the other hand, it apparently lost nearly $300 million in potential Call of Duty sales due to the Xbox Game Pass availability. But it seems the company desperately wants new users, and one of those tactics could involve more freebies, with a caveat.
What’s the big shift?
Microsoft is on an expansion spree for its Xbox cloud gaming service, and has lately expanded it everywhere from TVs to cars. In October, the company finally lifted the “beta” preview tag from the service, five years after its launch, and also added a 1440p resolution perk for certain titles. The next avenue is hyper-aggressive marketing, and that means offering a free taste of the service — with ads thrown into the mix.
“I understand that the free ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming will include the ability to stream some games you own, as well as eligible Free Play Day titles, which let Xbox players try games over a weekend,” says a report by The Verge, adding that the upcoming service will also support retro titles.
The outlet further adds that the free ad-supported tier is close to launch and that it is already being tested internally. The core idea is that users will be able to stream a select few games on a screen of their choice.
How could it pan out?
Microsoft is reportedly testing different approaches to the experience of free cloud-based game streaming. One of those ideas includes offering only one hour of free gaming per session, while the monthly limit is set at five hours. Another approach entails pushing ads before the games launch, a strategy similar to media streaming platforms such as YouTube and Spotify.
The length of the advertisements, which will be served as a pre-roll, will be around two minutes. As far as availability goes, the free game streaming facility will be available to Xbox fans across consoles, PCs, handheld devices such as the Xbox ROG Ally X, and the web.
Microsoft’s freebie service will reportedly launch as a beta first, followed by a wider release in the coming months. Over the past few years, executives have repeatedly talked about making the Xbox service more accessible to gamers, hinting that an ad-supported tier was a possibility, especially in markets where the per-player spending is lower compared to the US and EU regions.
