Xbox could offer a "more affordable" cloud gaming subscription, executive suggests

Microsoft Vice President of Next Generation, Jason Ronald, has suggested that Xbox’s cloud gaming service could be made available as part of a new subscription tier for a lower price than Game Pass Ultimate in the future.

The details:

• In a recent episode of the official Xbox Podcast, Ronald discussed the future of the company's cloud gaming plans, which have grown drastically in recent years. Currently, cloud gaming is only available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, who can stream all Game Pass titles as well as select purchased games from their personal library.
• The executive shared that Xbox has noted that a large portion of Ultimate subscribers make use of the cloud gaming functionality, promoting discussions about opening up the feature to more players. “One of the things we see is there are a lot of players who use Game Pass Ultimate to access the cloud, whether that’s the primary way they play or an additional way to play on the go,” Ronald said. “I think for us, it really opens up the opportunity to make it much more affordable and make it more accessible to players. Whether that’s going into new regions or new ways to actually access the cloud.”
• Cloud gaming has grown in popularity significantly in recent years, as online connections have become stronger and faster, prompting PlayStation and Xbox to provide solid experiences as part of their more expensive services. Ideas about opening up a cheaper cloud gaming tier at Xbox have been floating around for a while, with Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart hinting in late 2023 that it could offer a free ad-supported version of the feature in the future.

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