Play for Free, but with Ads - Xbox Tests New Cloud Gaming Mode

The new mode will expand the audience and introduce gamers to certain brands.

Microsoft recently began testing a new offering for gamers. They will be able to get free access to the Xbox Cloud Gaming service, but there's a catch — there will be ads. Currently, only participants of the Xbox Insider program can explore this mode.

The developers explained that ads will be shown before the start of a gaming session. This innovation will not affect the gameplay — it remains unchanged. This mode is not "mandatory"; gamers can choose another way to play at any time.

In the announcement, Xbox explained that advertising has existed in games for decades — from in-game placements to free-to-play models, but "it hasn't always been designed with the player's interests in mind":

When implemented correctly, advertising can lower the cost of access [for customers]: it gives players an additional way to start playing without a prior streaming purchase and expands the audience through new forms of game access.

According to the developers, for brands, this will only work if "their presence complements the gaming experience, rather than detracting from it."

The announcement specifically notes that "advertising should bring value to players" and that Xbox applies "the same quality requirements to advertising as to [Xbox] content."