Following the September cloud gaming limits for Game Pass subscribers, Microsoft is rolling out a new monetization system. Now, non-subscribers can purchase individual hours of Cloud Playtime to play games they already own on supported devices. The service is already being tested with Xbox Insiders.
Following the September cloud gaming limits for Game Pass subscribers, Microsoft is rolling out a new monetization system. Now, non-subscribers can purchase individual hours of Cloud Playtime to play games they already own on supported devices. The service is already being tested with Xbox Insiders.
As reported by Ars Technica, Microsoft is currently offering the following "starting prices" for watch packages:
10 hours — $4 (~$0.40 per hour);
25 hours — $8 (~$0.32 per hour);
50 hours — $12 (~$0.24 per hour).
Purchased hours do not have an expiration date and are stored on the account until fully used.
This approach is reminiscent of the old arcade gaming model, where players paid for each session. The main difference from services like Google Stadia or PlayStation Plus Premium is that purchasing a Cloud Playtime package doesn't give you access to the games themselves - you still have to pre-purchase the game or play free-to-play titles.
For those who don't want to buy time packages, Microsoft leaves a free alternative by watching ads. However, the company honestly warns: subscribers to paid packages will receive higher broadcast quality and shorter queues for connecting to servers.
The model may be of interest to players who need occasional access to their own game library from mobile devices or laptops without purchasing a full monthly subscription.
Meanwhile, Microsoft's own statistics show that when the cloud gaming caps were cut in September, only 4% of Game Pass users exceeded the 5-15 hours of streaming per month threshold. This indicates that cloud gaming remains a niche feature, and it remains an open question how many players are willing to pay an additional hourly fee for games they already own.
