Microsoft is releasing its long-in-the-making Hulu Plus app on the Xbox 360 today, providing a subscription video streaming alternative to Netflix.

As with its Netflix app, the company is making gamers pay double subscription fees to access the service, locking it away for paying Xbox Live Gold customers who will get the privilege of using Hulu Plus if they cough up its $8 monthly fee. A similar app has been available to all PS3 users since November.

At least non-paying Xbox Live members will get a taste of the service, which is available for free to all connected users until May 6.

Wired got an early look at the Xbox’s version of Hulu Plus and wasn’t so impressed, dinging the app for its limited Kinect functionality and lack of an option to search for short clips, such as Saturday Night Live sketches. You can work around the latter shortcoming by queuing up shorts on a computer, making them accessible on the Xbox.

If you try out Hulu Plus on the console, let us know what you think.

Hands-On: Hulu Plus for Xbox 360 Is Just as Unfinished as Netflix Offering [Wired]

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