Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Getting Monthly Time Limits Starting in November

Microsoft is making a major change to Xbox Cloud Gaming, introducing monthly playtime limits for Xbox Game Pass subscribers beginning in November.

The company announced the changes via an Xbox Wire post this week.  Once the change is in effect, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get 15 hours, Premium members will receive 10 hours, and Essential subscribers will be limited to five hours per month. Currently, eligible Game Pass subscribers can stream games through the cloud without monthly time restrictions. Under the new system, each Game Pass tier will receive a fixed number of cloud gaming hours every month.

Once those hours are gone, players can purchase additional cloud gaming time through the Xbox Store. Microsoft hasn’t revealed how much additional hours will cost in Canada or global regions. More information on pricing and purchasing options is likely coming closer to the November rollout. Xbox acknowledges this is a substantial change, although it estimates the limits will affect around “four per cent of Game Pass subscribers.” Microsoft says the cost of providing cloud gaming increases as more people use the service for longer periods, adding that for some players, “the practical result is a higher cost.”

The restrictions arrive only months after Microsoft cut Xbox Game Pass prices in Canada. Ultimate currently costs $25.99 CAD per month, while Premium and Essential cost $17.99 and $13.99, respectively. Although the perks of each tier vary, all three share the ability to access Xbox Cloud Gaming. Streaming games via the cloud was always an add-on for active subscribers. With this in mind, Xbox announced that starting in November, players won’t need Game Pass to access Xbox Cloud Gaming. Instead, they’ll be able to purchase cloud playtime separately and stream supported games they already own.

Microsoft has also been experimenting with other ways to open cloud gaming to more people. In July, Xbox began testing free cloud streaming supported by pre-roll ads, while its recently announced disc-to-digital program will let eligible physical games gain cloud gaming entitlements.