First, the games went digital-only. Soon, the whole console may be a relic of the past.
We are in the very early innings of anything like that, but Xbox on Thursday began testing an ad-supported way for players to stream select games from their library without a paid subscription. The test is available for a limited time and only to Xbox Insiders.
During the test period, Xbox Insiders with an Xbox account will be able to stream games they own, for free — meaning without a Game Pass membership — with “up to” two minutes of ads rolling ahead of gameplay, an Xbox source tells The Hollywood Reporter. Play sessions will last for one hour and will be available “across supported devices and regions,” the announcement reads. Should a player want to continue beyond the initial hour, up to two more minutes of ads (per hour time slot) will precede their return to game play, our source said.
Compatible devices for cloud gaming include Xbox consoles (Xbox One and newer), supported TVs (newer Samsungs/LGs), VR headsets, Windows PCs, tablets and mobile devices. Cloud gaming allows for true gaming on the go, whereas remote-accessing one’s console (for free) really cannot be done outside of the home, and still requires the console as starting point.
