Xbox Puts Monthly Limits on Game Pass Cloud Gaming
- Sagar Mankar
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
Xbox is putting monthly limits on cloud gaming for Game Pass subscribers starting in November.
The change affects all three subscription tiers and replaces the current setup that lets eligible members stream without any hour restrictions. Microsoft says the shift will only impact a small slice of its user base, but the numbers involved are still significant when you consider the overall size of Game Pass.
Here is how the new monthly cloud gaming hours will break down once the update rolls out:
Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
Game Pass Essential: 5 hours
Once a subscriber burns through their included hours, they will need to buy extra cloud playtime through the Xbox Store. Pricing for those additional hours has not been revealed yet, and Xbox has confirmed that availability and features could differ depending on the market you are in.
As per the official blog post from Xbox, the company explained why this change is happening now. "We're introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance. We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost."
Xbox says this change will affect around 4% of Game Pass subscribers.
There is a silver lining here too. Starting in November, Xbox is also opening up cloud gaming to people who do not have a Game Pass subscription at all. Players will be able to purchase cloud playtime directly through the Xbox Store and use it to stream games they already own on supported devices.
There is another neat benefit buried in this update. Xbox One owners will be able to stream Xbox Series X|S games through the cloud without needing to upgrade their console. That is a solid workaround for anyone stuck on older hardware who still wants access to newer titles.
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