Xbox Cloud Gaming to add monthly streaming limits starting November

As part of the overhaul of the Xbox business by CEO Asha Sharma, Microsoft has announced limits on streaming coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and the ability to stream games without a Game Pass subscription.

The changes will affect all three Game Pass tiers starting in November, with Xbox Game Pass plans including a set number of cloud gaming hours each month:

• Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
• Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
• Game Pass Essential: 5 hours

Once players reach the limit of their set hours, they’ll be able to purchase more hours through the XBOX Store, says Microsoft.

Game Pass subscribers won’t be the only ones to be able to purchase access to Xbox Cloud Gaming through the XBOX store. According to the announcement, anyone with access to the Xbox store will be able to purchase cloud playtime hours and then stream any eligible games they own on supported devices.

It’s a big change for Game Pass subscribers, including Game Pass Ultimate subscribers who previously enjoyed unlimited access to Xbox Cloud Gaming and won’t see a reduction in their $25.95/month fee, though according to Microsoft, the new time limits will only affect 4% of Game Pass subscribers

The big positive here is that anyone can now access Xbox Cloud Gaming without needing a Game Pass subscription. 

The big question is though, what the Xbox Cloud Gaming pricing will be like and on that front, Microsoft says ‘available hours, purchasing options, and cloud gaming features may vary by market’, so we’ll have to wait and see.