Starting in November, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate players will have 15 hours of cloud gaming access.
Microsoft is making more changes to its Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, and this time it’s aimed at the cloud gaming portion of the service. The company is putting limits on how much Xbox Cloud Gaming players can use per month soon.
Game Pass plans will include a set number of cloud gaming hours each month:
- Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
- Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
- Game Pass Essential: 5 hours
Starting in November, Xbox Game Pass Essential players will have 5 hours of cloud gaming access per month. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Premium members will have 10 hours of access per month. Lastly, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get 15 hours of game streaming per month.
Microsoft says these changes will impact 4% of subscribers that regularly spend time gaming on the cloud.
“We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer,” says the company. “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.”
For anyone who wants more time to play on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft will begin selling additional playtime hours via the Xbox store. Details about the pricing will be coming in November as well.
Outside of the limits on Game Pass subscribers, Microsoft is detaching Xbox Cloud Gaming from the subscription entirely in November. This means anyone will be able to purchase Xbox Cloud Gaming hours directly to jump into eligible games that they already own.
“Players will be able to purchase cloud playtime hours through the XBOX Store and stream eligible games they own on supported devices,” adds the company. “This will provide another option for people who want occasional access to cloud gaming or do not want a recurring Game Pass subscription.”
While it’s a major change for Xbox Cloud Gaming, it’s not the only game streaming service with limits like this. Nvidia also has a monthly limit for subscribers that it considers heavy users, with additional hours available for purchase separately.
