Monday, January 19th 2026 Xbox Cloud Gaming Advert-supported Product Tier Could be Announced Soon by T0@st Today, 13:25 Discuss (0 ) Last week, users of Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming service noticed one hour of ad supported play time per session messages popping up during the launch of play sessions. Jez Corden, of Windows Central fame, believes that the popular subscription-based streaming model will offer a new product tier in the near future. The noted Xbox insider has reached out to industry contacts for regarding aforementioned leaks that mentioned an advert-supported branch. Post-seeking clarification, Corden's past weekend report outlined a major change—according to an unnamed source, it is confirmed that: (adverts) will appear separately on Xbox Cloud Gaming, for those who have purchased Xbox games digitally, but don't have Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has hundreds of games available to buy via Xbox Cloud Gaming, but as of writing, you need at least one tier of Xbox Game Pass to access them. This session-based ad-supported access tier will change that. A late October New York Times article provided an early hint of Microsoft exploring a free ad-supported cloud gaming access tier. Uptake of the Xbox Cloud Gaming service—and similar streaming platforms—is expected to climb further in 2026 and beyond, as an unfortunate result of the ongoing computer memory and storage crisis. Corden proposes that Microsoft leadership likely wants to justify the cost of expanding and maintaining cloud service-focused data centers—an ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming access tier could ensure that: Azure inference remains high and consistent, without any unwanted dry periods. Multiple gaming news outlets have connected this advert-supported tidbit to the next Developer_Direct showcase. Later this week, Xbox's main focus will be the presentation of Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation. A smaller update—regarding adjustments to Xbox Cloud Gaming—could be slipped in after larger preview beats. Sources: Windows Central, Eurogamer Related News Tags: Cloud gaming insider Leak Microsoft Microsoft Game Studios Rumor Rumors subscribers subscription Xbox Dec 31st 2025 Leaks Predict $5000 RTX 5090 GPUs in 2026 Thanks to AI Industry Demand (124) Jul 30th 2025 ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Pre-Order Date and Pricing Leak Ahead of Apparent Gamescom Launch (8) Apr 28th 2025 NVIDIA Reportedly Working on GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER 24 GB & RTX 5070 SUPER 18 GB Designs (76) Dec 18th 2025 Half-Life 3 May Launch Alongside Steam Machine in Early 2026 (78) Nov 22nd 2025 Xbox Full Screen Experience Comes to Every Windows PC (74) Dec 2nd 2025 Xbox Game Pass December Additions Revealed: Mortal Kombat 1, Dome Keeper, & More (2) Apr 4th 2025 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB SKU Likely Launching at $499, According to Supply Chain Leak (182) Nov 24th 2025 Xbox Full-Screen Experience Uses 9% Less RAM Than Standard Windows 11 Mode (50) Jan 8th 2026 GeForce RTX 60-series Linked to Mysterious GR20x GPU Dies, 2H'27 Launch Predicted (36) Dec 5th 2025 Microsoft Reportedly Boosting Xbox Production Output, Linked to Tentative Foxconn Vietnam Expansion (5) Add your own on Xbox Cloud Gaming Advert-supported Product Tier Could be Announced Soon There are no yet.