Xbox is selling Cloud Gaming by the hour: 10 hours for $3.99, 25 for $7.99 and 50 for $11.99. The bundles are live for XBOX Insiders now, including those without Game Pass, with a wider rollout planned for November, according to Xbox Wire.
What you get and pay
Xbox calls these "introductory launch pricing":
- 10 hours: $3.99, about 40 cents an hour
- 25 hours: $7.99, about 32 cents an hour
- 50 hours: $11.99, about 24 cents an hour
Purchased playtime "remains available until it's used," so unused hours don't lapse at month end. The Verge adds that the bundles come with ad-free cloud gaming, shorter wait times and higher-quality streaming.
Who can buy, and where
During the preview, Insiders without an active Game Pass subscription can buy hours and stream. From November, Xbox says non-subscribers can buy hours and stream eligible games they own.
Xbox has not named the markets that will get the bundles. Its post says availability may vary by market, device, account eligibility and preview ring.
How it fits with Game Pass
In its September announcement, Xbox said that from November Game Pass includes monthly cloud hours: 15 on Ultimate, 10 on Premium and 5 on Essential. It expects about 4% of subscribers to be affected. Subscribers can buy more through the Xbox Store once their included hours run out.
Why it matters
Per-hour cost falls by about 40% from the smallest bundle to the largest, so the 10-hour pack is the expensive way to buy. The catch is that you pay up front for hours you may not use.
Xbox labels all three prices "introductory launch pricing," so treat them as the opening offer.
Our call
The 10-hour pack is the one to try: it buys cloud play with no subscription, and the hours stay until you use them. The 50-hour pack costs the least per hour, but it asks for the biggest payment up front.
Game Pass members get 5 to 15 included hours a month from November, so top-ups only matter after those run out. Also see our PlayStation Pulse headset story and our No Man's Sky iPhone and iPad story.
