Earlier this week, Microsoft announced an up to 50% price increase for Xbox Game Pass, offering the compelling value proposition of "What if one month's access to a new Xbox-published game cost almost a quarter of the price of just buying the damn thing and owning it forever?"
Microsoft's explanation for the price hike was that it was seeking to offer "more flexibility, choice, and value," and it's apparently got similarly flexible plans for game streaming—assuming you don't mind sitting through ads to enjoy it. According to reporting at The Verge, sources at Microsoft say that the company has been running internal tests of a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, with a public beta test and full launch planned in the coming months.
