Microsoft has put a price on Xbox Cloud Gaming for players who do not subscribe to Game Pass, starting at 3.99 US dollars for 10 hours of streaming. Xbox Insiders without an active Game Pass plan have been able to buy cloud playtime since October 21, 2026, and the option rolls out more broadly in November.
Prices at a glance
| Cloud playtime pack | Price | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | 3.99 US dollars | about 0.40 US dollars |
| 25 hours | 7.99 US dollars | about 0.32 US dollars |
| 50 hours | 11.99 US dollars | about 0.24 US dollars |
Microsoft calls these introductory launch prices in its Xbox Wire announcement and lists them in US dollars only, so euro and pound prices are still unknown. As Dexerto points out, the company has not said whether the prices will stay the same after the wider rollout, and there is no exact November date yet.
What a pack includes, and what it does not
Every pack gives you ad free streaming with shorter wait times and higher quality video. The hours do not reset monthly; they stay on your account until used.
Buying hours does not unlock the Game Pass library. You still need to own a game that supports cloud play, or pick one of the select free to play titles; the pack only pays for streaming time. Microsoft adds that eligible games, purchase options and features can vary by market, device, account and Insider preview ring, and it has not yet named the countries for the November launch.
On devices, the announcement only says a supported device is required. The official Xbox Cloud Gaming page lists Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, Windows PCs, Apple and Android phones and tablets, browsers such as Edge, Chrome and Safari, select LG, Samsung and VIDAA smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and select Meta Quest headsets. Watch the official Xbox video on streaming games you own below.
Free with ads, or paid hours
The paid packs sit next to the free option Microsoft began testing with Xbox Insiders on July 23, 2026. That test lets Insiders stream select games they own at no cost, with ads playing before each session and every session capped at one hour. Microsoft describes the ad supported mode as a limited time test, so the paid hours are the route for players who want no ads and shorter waits.
How it fits with Game Pass Ultimate
Subscribers face a bigger change. From November, Game Pass Ultimate includes 15 hours of cloud gaming per month, Game Pass Premium 10 hours and Game Pass Essential 5 hours, replacing the unlimited streaming members have today. Microsoft expects the limits to affect about 4 percent of subscribers, and the Xbox site notes that PC Game Pass does not include cloud gaming at all.
Subscribers who run out of their monthly hours will be able to buy more from the Xbox Store, but Microsoft has not confirmed whether those top ups use the same packs and prices as the Insider preview. For comparison, one 50 hour pack equals over three months of the streaming time included with Ultimate, minus the Game Pass catalog. As The Verge notes, the upshot is that any player can stream from November, Game Pass or not. Microsoft says it will share more on eligible games, markets and how to check remaining hours in November.
Based on the official Xbox Wire posts of October 21, September 3 and July 23, 2026, the Xbox Cloud Gaming page on xbox.com, and reporting by The Verge and Dexerto.
Cloud release date and platforms
- Release date: Out now, first released on October 24, 2005
- Out now on: PC
- Genre: Puzzle
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