Microsoft has started selling Xbox cloud gaming by the hour. Since 21 October 2026, members of the Xbox Insider Program without an active Game Pass subscription can buy cloud playtime and use it to stream games, and the option will roll out more broadly in November, Xbox Wire says. Xbox lists three packs at what it calls introductory launch pricing:
- 10 hours for $3.99
- 25 hours for $7.99
- 50 hours for $11.99
That works out to about 40 cents an hour in the smallest pack and 24 cents in the largest. Purchased time stays available until it is used and comes with ad-free streaming, shorter wait times and high-quality streams. Players need a supported device and a cloud-playable game they own, or access to selected free-to-play games.
The post gives prices only in dollars and does not name the countries, devices or games included. It says availability, purchase options, eligible games and features may vary by market, device, account and Insider ring.
The packs extend a test that began on 23 July 2026, when Xbox started letting Insiders stream selected games they own for free, with ads before each session and sessions limited to one hour (Xbox Wire, July). During the test there are now three ways into the cloud: a Game Pass subscription, free sessions with ads, and prepaid hours without ads.
The packs suit players who stream occasionally, on a TV or a phone, and do not want a monthly subscription. Xbox has not said how pricing will look outside the US, whether prices will change after the introductory period, or whether publishers share in playtime revenue. For developers, being “cloud playable” now matters for players who never subscribe to Game Pass.