By Isaiah Richard
Publication Date: 2026-09-28 03:30:00
A newly published Microsoft patent application describes a system that would pause a game to show ads and then reward players with extra play time. The filing lays out how those interruptions could be timed so they do not cost a player an online match.
Microsoft Files Patent That Plans to Insert Ads in Games
The application is titled “Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access.” It was filed in April and published in early September, and it builds on an earlier application filed in May 2023.
The filing tries to solve a timing problem: how streaming video can be supported by ads through regular breaks, and those breaks are easy to place in content that is not interactive.
Games are harder, since it is difficult to predict when a player can safely stop. The patent says many online games cannot be paused, so a badly timed break could mean losing a match or being cut off from teammates.
How Will Microsoft’s In-Game Ads Work Once Added?
Under the system, a piece…
