XBOX Cloud Playtime Packs Start at $3.99 for 10 Hours

Starting today, XBOX Insiders without an active Game Pass subscription can pay for XBOX Cloud Gaming by the hour, with cloud playtime packs priced at $3.99 for 10 hours, $7.99 for 25 hours, and $11.99 for 50 hours. XBOX is calling that introductory launch pricing, and the preview is limited to Insiders ahead of a broader rollout in November. The packs cover streaming games you already own or free-to-play titles with cloud support on a supported device, and purchased hours don’t expire, so they stay in your account until you use them.

This is the paid half of a plan XBOX has been testing since the summer, after it started letting Insiders stream for free with ads in July, with an ad before each session and sessions capped at one hour. The playtime packs are the ad-free alternative, and XBOX says they also come with shorter wait times and higher quality streaming. Both options are built around people who don’t subscribe to Game Pass, which has been the main requirement for XBOX Cloud Gaming until now.

The timing lines up with the monthly cloud gaming caps arriving for Game Pass subscribers in November, which limit Ultimate to 15 hours, Premium to 10 hours, and Essential to five hours a month, with the option to buy more hours through the XBOX Store once they run out. XBOX said in September that it would share pricing for those extra hours closer to November, and today’s announcement doesn’t say whether subscribers will get the same packs at the same prices. For now, the preview is only open to Insiders, and XBOX notes that availability, purchasing options, and eligible games can vary by market, device, and preview ring, with the full details on XBOX Wire.