By Sam Sepiol
Publication Date: 2026-09-22 13:08:00
A new patent has surfaced online in which Microsoft could push ads on the XBOX during breaks in gaming.
Microsoft appears to be exploring additional monetization opportunities for Xbox, which may include advertisements. The company has already introduced an ad-supported cloud gaming tier for insiders. Now, a recent patent suggests the company is looking to inject ads even while players are gaming on their consoles or PCs.
Microsoft Exploring Ad-Credits in New Patent
Spotted by Respawn First, a new ad-related patent has been published by Microsoft earlier this month, called ‘Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access’. The patent describes a system in which players receive ‘ad-credits’ based on the context of the situation. Which means that the game will understand the natural breaks during gameplay and only then provide players with an ad.
The ads operate on a system where, initially, you are given a certain amount…
