The reintroduction of Solitaire to Windows 10 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the addictive game. Microtransactions are irritating enough on smartphones, and as such seeing them leak onto Windows 10 is a little concerning. If you’re running the standard version that comes with the upgrade, your card-sorting reverie will suddenly be interrupted by Honda commercials.
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It’s not that surprising that Microsoft is charging for Solitaire, considering that Windows 10 is free and the company is increasingly seeking revenue via ongoing subscription services instead of one-off software purchases.
Players are saying that the Solitaire advertisements will randomly cover the entire game screen for a full 15 to 30 seconds, making it impossible to enjoy the game, especially if you like keeping score with time. They’re strictly for unlocks. So what can you do?
It has been discovered that the Solitaire Collection will come bundled with Windows 10, which we suppose is to be expected since Microsoft has typically bundled small games with their OS. In addition to no ads, there’s also a chance to earn coins for “Daily Challenges”. Welcome to 2015, I guess.
If you’re a hard-core Solitairist it’s probably worth the $10/year so you don’t break your flow.
There’s a big caveat to note here before we even begin – Windows 10 is now free to the vast majority of Windows owners.
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As well as the return of Solitaire, Windows 10 also features the return of the Start menu. But it just kinda sucks that something which used to come on your PC for free is now corrupted by ad buys.
