Microsoft is ending unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming for Game Pass users. Starting in November, Game Pass Cloud Gaming will have a monthly hour limit. Even the top-tier Game Pass Ultimate plan will be limited to 15 hours of cloud streaming per month, with lower tiers receiving even fewer hours. To stream longer, gamers will need to purchase additional hours.
Xbox is effectively raising Cloud Gaming prices because the operational cost of supporting more users for extended periods is also increasing. The company says monthly limits help maintain the service and improve reliability and performance, but it’s undoubtedly frustrating for players accustomed to unlimited streaming to suddenly face a relatively low weekly limit.
Starting in just a couple of months, Game Pass Essential users will get 5 hours per month, Game Pass Premium subscribers will receive 10, and Game Pass Ultimate users will have 15. In other words, that’s about half an hour of game time per day for those paying Xbox $23 per month.
Once a subscriber uses their monthly hours, cloud streaming halts until the next billing cycle—unless, of course, they buy more hours. Microsoft has yet to announce pricing for extra hours, instead saying that details will come before November.
Microsoft has preemptively defended itself by saying the change will affect about 4% of Game Pass subscribers, i.e., those who regularly go over the new monthly limits for their tier. With an estimated 30 million Game Pass users total, that means roughly 1.2 million users could be affected.
The forthcoming update also introduces a pay-as-you-go option for non-subscribers. People without a Game Pass subscription can buy cloud playtime to stream eligible games they already own.
At 15 hours a month, Ultimate subscribers average about 30 minutes per day if spread evenly across a 30-day month.
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