Microsoft Introduces Metered Cloud Playtime Purchases for Xbox Insiders
· Technology · Ars Technica, Gadgets360
Microsoft has rolled out a la carte Cloud Playtime purchases for Xbox Insiders, allowing non-subscribers to buy hourly streaming access for games they own on supported devices. Introductory pricing ranges from 24 cents to 40 cents per hour depending on the purchased playtime bundle. Purchased hours remain available until used, meaning they do not expire before players consume them. However, these streaming costs come on top of the original purchase price of the game, unlike Game Pass subscriptions which include monthly streaming access to hundreds of titles. The model evokes old arcade play, though historical attempts at a la carte streaming by services like Sony's PlayStation Now faced criticism for exorbitant pricing.
Why it matters
Xbox players who do not subscribe to Game Pass face additional hourly streaming costs to access games they already own on cloud devices.
Read the original report — Ars Technica
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