Xbox cloud gaming prices revealed, with 50 hours of ad-free game-time priced $11.99

Microsoft has disclosed the pricing structure for its Xbox cloud gaming service, with 50 hours of uninterrupted streaming available for the introductory price of $11.99. According to an announcement on the official Xbox news website, Xbox Insiders are now able to access the paid service without the need for a Game Pass subscription. This move precedes a broader rollout to all Xbox players in November.

These paid tiers offer an ad-free experience, building upon the free cloud gaming service initially unveiled earlier this year. While users of the service may face brief wait times during peak periods, the blog post reassures customers that these delays should be relatively short. Microsoft had announced that the paid service would enforce monthly time limits; however, it emphasized that only a small percentage of users would encounter this restriction.

Behind the scenes, the company explained that running a cloud gaming service incurs server infrastructure, compute costs, and network and bandwidth expenses. Historically, Sony's defunct cloud gaming platform, PlayStation Now, charged $9.99 per month for a similar service, a price tag from nearly a decade ago. Currently, Microsoft is undergoing a significant restructuring phase, with over 3,000 employees set to be laid off.

Recent reports suggest that further rounds of layoffs are planned for later this month in November, and again in January.