Microsoft announced a significant change in the way Xbox Cloud gaming. Starting in November, subscribers to various Game Pass plans will have a limited number of hours to play via the cloud each month.
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Currently, eligible users can use the service with no monthly hour limit. According to Xbox, the change should directly affect approximately 4% of Game Pass subscriberswho have more intense use of streaming.
How many hours of Xbox Cloud Gaming will each plan include?
Limits will differ depending on subscription category:
- Ultimate Game Pass: 15 hours per month;
- Premium Game Pass: 10 hours per month;
- Essential Game Pass: 5 hours per month.
After consuming all hours included, the player will be able to purchase additional streaming time through the Xbox Store. Microsoft has not yet announced how much these additional hours will cost, and some details may vary by market.
The company justified this decision by the increasing costs of maintaining the Xbox Cloud Gaming infrastructure, accompanied by growth in usage and longer and longer sessions.
Xbox acknowledged that, for some players, the practical consequence would be a higher cost to continue using the service. The company says it will monitor community feedback before and after implementation and may make adjustments.
Cloud Gaming can also be used without Game Pass
While limiting streaming to subscribers, Microsoft will expand access to Xbox Cloud Gaming to those who Does not have Game Pass.
Also starting in November, it will be possible to purchase hours of cloud gaming directly through the Xbox Store. With this, players will be able to use the acquired time to transmit eligible games you already own on compatible devices, without having to maintain a recurring subscription.
This change brings Xbox Cloud Gaming closer to a hybrid model: subscribers continue to benefit from a monthly number of hours within Game Pass, while occasional users will only be able to pay for the period during which they wish to use the streaming infrastructure.
Rachele Victoria
Rachele Victoria has a degree in Letters, an MBA in Innovation and has worked in the field of communication and gamer content for 10 years.
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