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Xbox Cloud Gaming Limits Hours, Opens to All
3 Sep
Summary
- Xbox is limiting cloud gaming hours for Game Pass tiers starting November.
- Non-subscribers can now purchase cloud playtime hours separately.
- This change impacts a small percentage of current subscribers.
Starting in November, Xbox will modify its cloud gaming service, ending unlimited streaming for Game Pass Ultimate members. All three Game Pass tiers will now offer a set number of monthly streaming hours: 15 for Ultimate, 10 for Premium, and five for Essential. This change is anticipated to affect only a small percentage of Game Pass subscribers.
This new approach also opens cloud gaming to non-subscribers. Anyone can now buy 'cloud playtime hours' via the Xbox Store to stream their game library. This could allow owners of older consoles, like the Xbox One, to play newer Xbox Series X/S titles without a hardware upgrade. The pricing of these hours will vary by region.
Xbox's original vision for cloud gaming was to enable console-free gaming. Under new leadership, the company has adjusted its strategy, focusing more on subscription value, exclusive games, and hardware. The current economic climate, with rising hardware and component costs, makes cloud gaming a potentially more attractive option for players.
