According to Microsoft Gaming Chief Financial Officer Tim Stuart, Microsoft is experimenting with a new approach to Xbox Game Pass by offering free access in exchange for viewing ads. Stuart also mentioned that Microsoft is actively seeking to expand Xbox Game Pass to other platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, although Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has denied these plans.
While Microsoft is willing to make Xbox Game Pass available on various platforms, not all platforms are interested in hosting the service. For example, Apple has blocked Game Pass from its iOS app store, citing competition in the game sales market as the reason.
Stuart believes that providing free access to Xbox Game Pass through ads could be particularly beneficial in regions like Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. By watching 30 seconds of advertising, users would be able to enjoy two hours of gameplay on Microsoft's cloud service.
Earlier, code snippets of the Xbox operating system shared by security researcher TitleOS indicated the existence of systems that provide access to Xbox Game Pass based on "earned time," where blocks of 15 minutes can be redeemed.
The exact format of Microsoft's ad-supported Xbox Game Pass is still unknown. It is likely that ad-free access will be limited to cloud gaming or specific markets. The code suggests that the option is in the final stages of development and may become available by 2024.
Xbox Game Pass offers players access to a wide selection of free games for Microsoft consoles. The service's library is regularly updated and includes titles from various companies along with Microsoft's own offerings. In the United States, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is priced at $16.99 per month.
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