Microsoft is introducing a standalone option for Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing users to purchase cloud gaming time without requiring a Game Pass subscription. Three different packages are available, offering 10, 25, or 50 hours of cloud-streamed Xbox gameplay on supported devices.
This cloud gaming feature is currently available to Xbox Insiders and will see a full public launch in November. During the preview period, Xbox Insiders can purchase these cloud gaming bundles to play select titles they own across Xbox consoles, PCs, handheld devices, and smart TVs.
Cloud Gaming Time Packages and Pricing
Xbox has introduced three cloud gaming packages—offering 10, 25, and 50 hours of playtime—priced at $3.99, $7.99, and $11.99, respectively, for the initial launch. The phrasing suggests that these prices may increase when the service becomes available to all users next month or thereafter.
Cloud gaming plans will offer an ad-free game streaming service. Xbox also promises lower latency and a higher-quality streaming experience. These plans provide a new alternative for Xbox cloud streaming, distinct from the existing Game Pass and ad-supported cloud gaming offerings.
In July of this year, Xbox launched a free, ad-supported standalone cloud gaming service, allowing users to play select titles from its library without a Game Pass subscription. Advertisements are displayed before the start of each cloud gaming session.
Xbox Cloud Gaming has also undergone broader changes in recent months. In September, Microsoft announced plans to implement monthly usage caps for cloud gaming—applicable to Game Pass members—starting in November.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will be allotted 15 hours of cloud gaming per month, while Game Pass Premium and Essential members will have monthly limits of 10 hours and 5 hours, respectively. Microsoft has attributed this change to the rising costs of providing cloud gaming services. Previously, Xbox Game Pass members enjoyed unlimited access to cloud gaming.