Microsoft has submitted a patent application for a system called "ad-credit," which aims to display advertisements on PCs and Xbox consoles without interrupting gameplay

Microsoft has secured a patent for a system that presents ads during gaming sessions on PCs and Xbox without interrupting player experience.

The patent, named 'Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access,' was submitted earlier this month, as reported by Respawn First.

This innovation is designed to identify moments like loading screens or end-of-level points to pause the game and display advertisements, during which gameplay would be briefly stopped. Afterward, players would earn a "credit," allowing a certain span of ad-free playtime.

The duration of uninterrupted play could be determined by in-game achievements, such as finishing a level or completing several multiplayer matches.

In 2022, it was reported that Xbox was looking at the possibility of inserting ads into free-to-play games via its cloud service. Microsoft initiated ad-supported game streaming trials for Xbox this July.

Participants of the Xbox Insider Program have the option to engage in free, hour-long game streaming sessions with ads, shown prior to gameplay, with core gameplay remaining consistent.

Recently, Xbox declared adjustments to cloud gaming usage for Game Pass subscribers, effective November 2026.

Game Pass Essential will be capped at five hours, Premium at ten, and Ultimate at fifteen hours each month, with additional gaming time available for purchase.

Xbox cited rising costs in cloud gaming as a justification for these changes, explaining "the expense associated with cloud gaming increases as more users engage over longer periods."

This week, Xbox announced further job cuts in its ongoing reorganization, affecting 268 staff across Halo Studios and additional teams within Xbox Game Studios.

As part of the restructuring, UK's Rare and Age of Empires developer World's Edge have been shifted to Activision, which will also oversee the Halo series.

Additionally, Obsidian has now joined Bethesda, while Playground Games and Turn 10 have combined into one development team.