You Might Soon Be Able To Stream Xbox Games Without Game Pass, But With A Catch
Depending on who you ask, the Xbox brand is currently on the ropes. Many gamers have lost faith in Microsoft due to a recent wave of layoffs. But on the other hand, rumors are swirling that future Xbox tech will let you digitize physical games, and you can now play several OG Xbox titles on your PC. You might soon be able to stream Xbox titles for free, assuming you don't mind watching ads.
Microsoft announced it is testing a new service for the Xbox gaming environment: Ad-supported Game Streaming. This experimental feature is an extension of the Xbox Cloud Gaming service that comes with Xbox Game Pass but with one key difference: It's completely free. No subscription fee needed. However, the service includes two notable restrictions. First, you have to watch ads before starting a streaming session (no ads will appear while you're gaming, thankfully), and you only get one hour of playtime. These restrictions are virtually identical to the hoops GeForce Now users must jump through while using the service's free tier.
As previously stated, this feature is in the testing phase and isn't available to the general gaming public. Currently, only Xbox Insiders can stream games with ads. While Microsoft plans to move forward with ad-supported streaming, the company will use feedback from these testers to improve the service. We do not have a timetable for a future rollout, but if you would like to provide your two cents on the service, Microsoft encourages you to visit the Xbox Insider subreddit.
A community divided
On the surface, this new tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming sounds like a great idea. If your console's SSD is full and you don't have the money for a Seagate Storage Expansion Card, you can still play the games you own even if you can't install them. Heck, if you can't afford an Xbox Series X or S, you can use Xbox Cloud Gaming to play the latest titles on an Xbox One (and other compatible devices). But many people don't see things that way.
If you visit the Ad-supported Game Streaming page of the Xbox Insider subreddit, you will notice that opinions are split down the middle. Some people think it's a great idea and are more than willing to put up with the ads if it means they can stream games for free. But other people, well, let's just say they have seen this strategy before and didn't like how it turned out the last several times.
The biggest issue some Xbox Insiders have with ad-supported streaming is the slippery slope temptation that comes with it. One of the first analogies commenters mentioned was Netflix. Initially, the service was ad-free (technically it was initially a service to rent DVDs and didn't offer streaming, but that's neither here nor there). But then the company increased subscription prices and added a cheaper tier with ads. That's what some people are afraid Microsoft will do: Use the free streaming tier as an excuse to jack up Xbox Game Pass prices. Others are afraid that lowering the barrier for streaming connections will invite tons of spammers and hackers, and the list of concerns goes on. With luck, feedback from Xbox Insider testers will help mitigate these fears.