Well, Microsoft's Windows 11 is about to receive its first exclusive ad featuring Xbox's Game Pass promotion under the "Settings" option.
News surrounding advertisements on Windows 11 has been circulating for a while now, and it looks like we have finally witnessed the new ad surfacing, promoting none other than Microsoft's gaming subscription service, Game Pass. In the latest Dev channel version 26120.470 (KB5037864), Microsoft says a new Game Pass advertisement will be visible under the Settings home page. Here is how the company describes the change:
We are introducing a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The Game Pass recommendation card on Settings Homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC. As a reminder – the Settings homepage will be shown only on the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and if you’re signed into Windows with your Microsoft account.
While Game Pass growth on the Xbox console has practically stopped, Microsoft previously said the PC version of the subscription service was still growing. Perhaps this is a way for them to bring Game Pass more visibility from non-core gamers who use Windows daily.
It's important to note that users will only receive the advertisement if they "actively" use the subscription service and have either the Home or Pro version of the operating system. So, judging by this, the advertisement isn't a move that would affect the user experience of the general consumer. Instead, it targets the specific gamer that would actually be interested in seeing the ad.
Despite that, the change marks the era of advertisements on Microsoft's Windows, and it'll likely be a move that would potentially add to the long list of Game Pass subscribers. However, Microsoft should also provide users the option of disabling such advertisements, or must at least provide a value to what users are seeing. A discount offer for new users who sign up through the OS would be acceptable.
News Source: Microsoft
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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