Microsoft has made a key announcement about Xbox Game Pass, confirming today that Xbox Cloud Gaming will now be available to Xbox Game Pass Standard and Core users. It was previously only available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is the most expensive version of the subscription.

The change is live today for Xbox Insiders–this program is free and open to anyone. However, Microsoft did not announce when Xbox Cloud Gaming will be available to all Standard and Core subscribers.

Game Pass Ultimate costs $20/month, while Game Pass Standard is $15/month and Game Pass Core is $10/month. There is a PC-specific version of Game Pass called Game Pass PC that costs $12/month.

Additionally, Microsoft announced that Xbox Insiders who are currently subscribed to Game Pass Standard or Core can now play the PC versions of select games. To do this, they can download and open the Xbox PC app, then sign in and select the Game Pass tab to see available titles.

A Microsoft boss recently teased a “more affordable” way to access Xbox Cloud Gaming, and it appears this was the announcement. This may not be the end of the Xbox Cloud Gaming evolution, either, as an executive said Microsoft may one day let you stream games for free in exchange for watching ads.

Microsoft is making this change amid sinking Xbox console sales. With Xbox Cloud Gaming, you do not need to own an Xbox console to play Xbox games. Microsoft’s “This Is An Xbox” initiative kicked off in 2024 and reminds people that many devices they may already own–including phones, tablets, and computers–can play Xbox games via the cloud.

The push for cloud gaming is not coming at the total expense of dedicated hardware, though, as Microsoft is also working on a next-gen console with AMD right now. Additionally, the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld devices are coming this October.