For $3.99, you can get 10 hours of Xbox Cloud Gaming, and there’s no Game Pass subscription required.
Microsoft has a new way to get into Xbox Cloud Gaming: buying playtime in blocks. Prices are out for all three packs. You can get 10 hours for $3.99, 25 hours for $7.99 or 50 hours for $11.99.
The 50-hour pack has the lowest price per hour. If you’re sure you’ll play that much, buy that one.
Purchased hours never expire
Hours you buy don’t have an expiration date. They sit on your account until you spend them. You could play for two hours this month and save the rest for whenever you get around to it.
Every pack includes ad-free streaming, shorter wait times and high image quality. The packs suit people who stream games now and then and would rather not take on another monthly subscription.
Check the terms first
The hours don’t give you access to the Game Pass library. You need a compatible game you already own, or you can play one of the supported free-to-play titles.
In practice, the packs let you stream games you’ve bought, plus free ones. They aren’t a budget version of Game Pass, and they won’t open up the full catalog.
Availability and timing
Select members of the Xbox Insider Program are testing the option now. Microsoft plans to roll it out more widely in November.
Microsoft is also still testing a free cloud gaming option supported by ads. That one won’t require a Game Pass subscription either.