Microsoft VP Hints At “More Affordable” Xbox Cloud Gaming Service
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers currently have access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing them to stream titles directly to their devices rather than running them natively. However, this feature remains tied exclusively to the Game Pass Ultimate tier, the most expensive subscription package Microsoft offers. That may soon change, as Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s vice president of next generation, has hinted at the possibility of a “more affordable” cloud gaming plan.
The comments came during the official Xbox Podcast, where Ronald and Jason Beaumont, Xbox’s vice president of experiences, discussed the future of cloud gaming and Microsoft’s strategy in the space.
“Our goal is really simple. We want to bring more games to more people. Cloud gaming is great at that,” Beaumont said, adding that expanding to new countries and more devices is a key part of that vision.
Ronald then followed with a statement that fueled speculation about a cheaper subscription tier:
“One of the things we see is there’s a lot of players who use Game Pass Ultimate to access the cloud, whether that’s the primary way they play, or an additional way to play on the go. And so for us, I think it really opens up the opportunity to make it much more affordable and to make it more accessible to more players, whether that’s going into new regions or new ways to actually access the cloud.”
While Ronald stopped short of announcing an official streaming-only subscription tier, his comments strongly suggest Microsoft could be exploring exactly that. A cloud-focused Game Pass tier without the ability to download titles natively would be the most straightforward way to lower costs and expand accessibility to new regions.
For now, Microsoft is preparing to showcase its ROG Xbox Ally device at Gamescom 2025, signaling its continued commitment to both cloud and hybrid gaming experiences. Whether an affordable Xbox Cloud Gaming subscription launches alongside future hardware remains to be seen.
Would you subscribe to a cheaper, streaming-only version of Xbox Game Pass if Microsoft launched it, or do you prefer the full Ultimate experience with native downloads?
