Microsoft announced last month that it will let anyone access Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, without the need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. The new pay-as-you-go model will require players to purchase bundles of cloud hours, and now Microsoft is revealing today that bundles will start at $3.99 for 10 hours of cloud playtime.
Xbox Insiders who don’t have a Game Pass subscription will be able to start purchasing cloud playtime today, ahead of a broader rollout next month. Insiders can access “introductory” launch pricing bundles:
All of these cloud hours will include ad-free cloud gaming, shorter wait times, and higher-quality streaming. These aren’t monthly bundles of hours either, so once you purchased a pack it remains available until the hours are used.
The pay-as-you-go Xbox Cloud Gaming option arrives just in time for Grand Theft Auto VI. I reported earlier this month that Microsoft has secured Grand Theft Auto VI streaming rights, but it’s not yet clear if this will be limited to just Xbox consoles. Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball revealed on X that Microsoft won’t be streaming Grand Theft Auto VI to PCs, suggesting that the web browsers and apps that can usually access Xbox Cloud Gaming will not be able to stream Grand Theft Auto VI.
Microsoft also continues to test free, ad-supported cloud gaming for Xbox Insiders, offering up another way to stream games without Game Pass. The free streaming sessions are limited to games you already own, and sessions are capped at one hour.