Xbox Free Cloud Gaming Could Launch on Your TV Soon

It's no secret that cloud gaming is on the rise, with some of the biggest names in the industry -- Xbox, PlayStation, Nvidia, and Amazon -- all offering their own versions of it. Microsoft, in particular, has been pushing to expand Xbox Cloud Gaming. Late last year, it made the service available to Game Pass Premium and Essentials members, after previously being exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, its highest-tier Xbox subscription. And now, Microsoft might be opening Xbox Cloud Gaming access even further, with plans to offer free, ad-supported access. The Verge's Tom Warren first reported back in October that Microsoft was testing a new ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, and this past weekend, it looks like the service is one step closer to launching. Warren shared an in-app screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) of an Xbox Cloud Gaming loading screen, showing a message that limits playtime to "1 hour of ad-supported playtime per session." According to reports, the internal version Microsoft has been testing caps sessions at one hour, with up to five hours free per month. Because it's ad-supported, each session reportedly starts with about two minutes of ads before you can play for free. Microsoft has confirmed it's testing an ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming experience, though it hasn't shared any specific details or a launch date yet. Cloud gaming continues to grow on TVs Besides Xbox, there is Amazon Luna and GeForce Now What excites me about Microsoft potentially launching a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming is what it could mean for smart TVs and streaming devices. Right now, the Xbox app -- including Xbox Cloud Gaming -- is available on multiple platforms, like Amazon Fire TV, LG smart TVs, and Samsung smart TVs. If Microsoft rolls out this free service, anyone with a Fire TV Stick, LG TV, or Samsung TV could play games on their TV for free -- no Xbox Game Pass subscription or console required. As for what games you'd actually be able to play for free, reportedly, you can stream any games you already own on Xbox, as well as Free Play Day titles and Xbox Retro Classics. It doesn't look like Microsoft is opening up the full Game Pass library for free, so if you want those games, you'll still need to pay. For reference, an Xbox Game Pass Essentials subscription starts at $10 a month. That said, if you're just curious about cloud gaming, this could be a great way to try it out. I've used Xbox Cloud Gaming on my Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and I found the experience really enjoyable. There's a tiny bit of latency, but the image quality is solid, and I had no issues playing single-player games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Star Wars Outlaws. Watching ads while gaming may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it seems like a solid way for people to try out cloud gaming on any device, especially TVs, before deciding whether to pay for it. Of course, Xbox Cloud Gaming isn't the only option out there. Amazon has its Luna service, which works on a wide range of devices, and Nvidia has GeForce Now, available on mobile, PCs, tablets, and later this year, select Fire TV Sticks. Amazon Luna is generally a paid service, but Prime members can access some games for free, while GeForce Now has a free, ad-supported tier in addition to paid options -- similar to what Xbox is reportedly planning. All in all, I'm excited to see what Xbox has in store with this free, ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Watching ads while gaming may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it seems like a solid way for people to try out cloud gaming on any device, especially TVs, before deciding whether to pay for it.