Xbox tests pay-per-hour cloud gaming packs from $3.99 for 10 hours

Pay-as-you-go packs go on sale

Microsoft has begun selling Cloud Playtime packs to members of the Xbox Insider program who do not hold an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Sales opened on 21 October 2026, ahead of a wider rollout planned for November. Players buy blocks of 10, 25 or 50 hours and use them to stream games they already own on supported devices. Unused time stays on the account until it is used up, rather than expiring at the end of a month. Microsoft describes each pack as offering ad-free sessions, shorter wait times and higher-quality streaming.

Prices and the cost per hour

The Verge gives the introductory prices as $3.99 for 10 hours, $7.99 for 25 hours and $11.99 for 50 hours. Ars Technica and Engadget round the same tiers to $4, $8 and $12. In złoty, the tiers are listed at 15.47 zł, 30.98 zł and 46.49 zł. Ars Technica puts the cost per hour between 24 and 40 cents, with the largest pack the cheapest per hour. Microsoft calls these introductory launch prices and has not said what the packs will cost in individual markets once the service expands. The per-hour charge also sits on top of whatever the player paid for the game itself, which Ars Technica contrasts with Game Pass, where the monthly price already includes a set number of streaming hours.

10 hours3.99

25 hours7.99

50 hours11.99

10 hours

3.99 USD

25 hours

7.99 USD

50 hours

11.99 USD

Data from the article text

Game Pass streaming limits from November

The packs are tied to a change for subscribers. Engadget reports that Xbox plans time limits of five to 15 hours a month on how long Game Pass subscribers can stream, starting in November. Microsoft cut the streaming hours available to Game Pass subscribers in September, the same month it said non-subscribers would soon be able to buy hours. Polish-language reporting says the limits will depend on the subscription tier. Engadget adds that the final prices could change next month, when Game Pass subscribers will also have to pay for hours beyond their new limits.

Free ad-supported streaming and Grand Theft Auto VI

Microsoft also keeps testing free, ad-supported cloud streaming with Xbox Insiders. Engadget reports that Insiders have had access to it since the summer, and The Verge says sessions are limited to games the player already owns and capped at one hour. The timing matters for Grand Theft Auto VI, since Microsoft has secured streaming rights to the game, though it is not yet clear whether they will be limited to Xbox consoles. Matthew Ball, Xbox chief strategy officer, said on X that Microsoft will not stream the game to PCs, which The Verge reads as meaning that the browsers and apps used for Xbox Cloud Gaming will not stream it either.