New Delhi, July 24 -- SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft is testing a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming that lets players stream games they already own without a subscription, an experiment running through the Xbox Insider program that could extend cloud gaming to audiences the company has never reached with its paid model.

participants opt in through the Insider program, stream titles from their existing owned library through Microsoft's cloud infrastructure, and watch a short advertisement before each session begins. Once gameplay starts, ads stop entirely. Sessions are capped at one hour, after which players can restart. Game Pass subscribers keep their existing experience unchanged, and the company said explicitly that paid tier...