Microsoft explores adverts during natural gaming pauses
A published patent application describes adverts that interrupt gameplay at moments such as a loading screen or the end of a mission.
Microsoft has published a US patent application for a system that can show adverts in interactive software during natural interruptions. The application does not confirm that Xbox or another Microsoft service will use the feature.
Application US20260260258A1 was published on 3 September and is registered to Microsoft Technology Licensing. The document is still a patent application. It describes a system that receives a signal from a game or other interactive application, temporarily interrupts the interaction, shows promotional audiovisual content and then resumes access.
The premise is that adverts do not appear at a random moment. According to the document, the application itself can indicate when an interruption is suitable. Examples mentioned include the end of a battle, completing a task, the end of a film clip or a loading screen.
The application links watching promotional content to a credit. That credit could, for example, represent a set period of playing time, such as fifteen minutes, half an hour or an hour. It could also be linked to progress, such as completing a level, playing a number of multiplayer matches or defeating a particular non-playable character.
According to the description, the technology can work with so-called API signals from the developer. This allows a game to indicate that a particular point is suitable for an advert. The application also describes systems that try to recognise events in the software themselves, for example through user input or characteristics of the game environment.
The proposal therefore resembles an advert-supported access model: players have access as long as credit is available and can receive new credit by watching an advert. This could be attractive for free or cheaper game models, but it also makes advertising part of access to the game.
A patent application is not a product announcement. According to reports about the application, Microsoft has not said that the system is coming to Xbox, PC or a specific gaming service. Many patent applications are never put into commercial use. For now, the only certainty is that Microsoft has registered a technical concept linking adverts and temporary access to interactive software.
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The technical description is based on the published patent application. The text explicitly says that it is an application and not an announced product feature.
- confirmed Patent application US20260260258A1 was published on 3 September 2026 and is registered to Microsoft Technology Licensing. — These details appear in the patent information. source
- confirmed The system can interrupt interactive software, show promotional audiovisual content and then resume access. — This is stated in the summary and description of the patent application. source
- confirmed The application mentions natural moments such as loading screens, the end of a level, a mission or a battle. — These examples are mentioned in the description of the application. source
- confirmed The system can link advertising to credit in the form of time or game progress. — The application describes both time-based and progress-based credits. source
- confirmed The patent application does not confirm that Xbox or another Microsoft service will use the feature. — The secondary source stresses that an application is not a product roadmap or product announcement. source
Editor's note
The patent application and the examples described can be verified. It remains uncertain whether Microsoft will ever use the technology in a product or Xbox service.Sources
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