Xbox Cloud Gaming now sells hourly playtime packs without Game Pass

Microsoft has put prices on a way to use Xbox Cloud Gaming without a Game Pass subscription. Called "Cloud Playtime," it sells blocks of hours, and it is being trialled with Xbox Insiders starting today.

For players who only want to stream the occasional game, it is a new option. It also lands as a separate report says Game Pass itself may be reshaped.

The prices

GameSpot lists what Microsoft calls "cloud playtime packs":

Pack	Price
10 hours	$4
25 hours	$8
50 hours	$12

Pure Xbox gives exact figures for the outer tiers: $3.99 for 10 hours and $11.99 for 50 hours. GameSpot reports that buyers get cloud gaming without ads.

Who can use it

For now, access is limited to Xbox Insiders. GameSpot points out that the Insider program is free and anyone can join. Microsoft describes the prices as "introductory launch pricing," which GameSpot reads as a sign they may change later. Pure Xbox says Xbox has been interested for a while in offering a way to pay for cloud gaming without Game Pass, and this is that idea being tested.

A Game Pass overhaul may follow

The same week brought a report from Fortune, which Pure Xbox summarizes. Citing "people familiar with the strategy," Fortune says Game Pass will let players "choose features à la carte," including add-ons for console-only games, cloud gaming and multiplayer.

GameSpot adds that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is reportedly planning a "major overhaul" with a "tiered structure." It notes she has already made big changes, such as dropping new Call of Duty releases from the membership. This is a report, and Microsoft has not announced these Game Pass changes.

What to watch

Cloud Playtime is in an Insider trial, and the reporting doesn't say when it might reach everyone. If you want to try it, joining the Insider program is the route for now. Whether the packs stay at these prices, and how they fit with any new Game Pass structure, is still unknown.