☁️ Starting in November, Xbox Cloud Gaming will implement monthly playtime limits of 5 to 15 hours depending on the user’s Game Pass subscription tier
🤔 Microsoft states these changes will only affect 4% of subscribers who currently exceed these usage limits
💰 Users will be able to purchase additional playtime hours through the Xbox Store if their monthly allowance is exceeded
🤷♂️ A new, non-subscription option will allow players to purchase individual cloud gaming hours to stream owned games directly
Microsoft has announced that, beginning in November, Xbox Cloud Gaming will be limited to 15, 10 and 5 hours of playtime a month, depending on the Game Pass plan you subscribe to.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play Xbox Cloud Gaming for 15 hours a month, Premium can play for 10 hours, and Essential subscribers get five hours of playtime.
Previously, and until November rolls around, Game Pass subscribers could use Xbox Cloud Gaming without monthly time limits. However, Microsoft says that this upcoming change will only impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers, which suggests only a small percentage use Xbox Cloud Gaming for more than 5 hours a month.
If you go over your included hours, you’ll be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the Xbox Store. Microsoft hasn’t shared the pricing yet, but further details will be shared before the changes take effect.
Microsoft is also introducing a new way to use Xbox Cloud Gaming without subscribing to Game Pass. Players will be able to purchase cloud playtime hours through the Xbox Store and stream eligible games they own on supported devices, giving players another option who want occasional access to cloud gaming but do not want to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft is making the change because the cost of providing cloud gaming has grown as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to a monthly limit allows Microsoft to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance.
For comparison, Nvidia’s GeForce Now service – which requires you already own a game on Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox, or GOG – limits players to one-hour, six-hour, and eight-hour sessions. But these reset with each play session, which makes Microsoft’s new time limits look extremely restrictive.
Sony also doesn’t limit the amount of time players can use its cloud gaming service, though it is locked behind the most expensive tier of PlayStation Plus, PS Plus Premium.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.