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Microsoft Will Reportedly Launch Ad Supported Free Xbox Cloud Gaming Tier This Year

Microsoft Will Reportedly Launch Ad-Supported Free Xbox Cloud Gaming Tier This Year

Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently only available with a Game Pass subscription

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 21 January 2026 15:10 IST

Microsoft Will Reportedly Launch Ad-Supported Free Xbox Cloud Gaming Tier This Year

Photo Credit: LG/ Microsoft

LG smart TVs support Xbox Cloud Gaming via the Xbox app

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Highlights

Xbox Cloud Gaming was launched in India in November 2025
Ad-supported Cloud Gaming will allow users to stream Xbox games they own
Xbox has been testing the ad-supported cloud gaming service internally

Xbox Cloud Gaming will reportedly get a free ad-supported tier soon, allowing Xbox players to access cloud playable games without a Game Pass subscription. Some users reported seeing a loading screen on the Xbox app that suggested a cloud gaming offering with “one hour of ad-supported playtime per session” was on its way. According to a Windows Central report, the ad-supported Cloud Gaming tier will launch in 2026.

Back in October 2025, Microsoft confirmed to New York Times that it was testing a free ad-supported cloud gaming service separate from Xbox Game Pass. Xbox cloud gaming is currently only available via a Game Pass subscription. But it seems the ad-supported free Xbox Cloud Gaming tier could be coming soon.

Ad-Supported Free Cloud Gaming Coming in 2026

Windows Central reported that the offering, which will be session-based, will arrive “this year”. The ad-supported tier of Cloud Gaming will let players play Xbox games they own digitally without needing a Game Pass subscription.

Xbox Cloud Gaming Launched in India: Here's How You Can Start Playing

Details about the ad-supported game streaming service are sparse, but according to The Verge, Microsoft is close to testing the program with Xbox Insiders. As per the publication's sources, the Xbox parent's internal testing of the free cloud gaming service has been limited to one-hour sessions, with up to five free hours per month.

The ad-supported service will reportedly allow users to stream select Xbox games they have purchased digitally, along with some eligible Free Play Days and Xbox Retro Classics titles with preroll ads that unlock a cloud play session.

Xbox has not yet announced a timeline for the launch of its ad-supported Cloud Gaming service. The company, however, has been expanding its game streaming service in recent times.

Xbox Game Pass Gets Price Hike: Here's How Much New Plans Cost in India

In October 2025, Xbox introduced three revamped and upgraded Game Pass plans — Ultimate, Premium, and Essential — and added unlimited cloud gaming support to each tier. Xbox Cloud Gaming was previously only available in beta to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

LG Smart TVs Now Support Xbox Cloud Gaming in India

A month later, Microsoft launched Cloud Gaming in India, allowing Game Pass subscribers in the country to stream games on supported devices without needing to download the title first. Xbox Cloud Gaming can be accessed on the Xbox app on PC, Mac, iOS and Android mobile devices, tablets, Samsung and LG smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV.

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Further reading: Xbox Cloud Gaming, Cloud Gaming, Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox, Microsoft

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More