Microsoft Announces Change to Xbox Cloud Gaming, Switches to Monthly Hour Limits

Microsoft is overhauling Xbox cloud gaming, replacing unlimited streaming with monthly hourly allowances starting in November. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get 15 hours per month, Game Pass Premium gets 10 hours, and Game Pass Essential gets 5 hours. Once those hours are used up, users can buy additional cloud playtime through the Xbox Store. Microsoft will also let players purchase cloud playtime hours and stream eligible games they own on supported devices even without a Game Pass subscription.

Microsoft said the change responds to rising costs of cloud gaming as more people use it and play for longer, and that the monthly limits will allow it to invest in reliability and performance. It acknowledged that for some players the practical result is a higher cost, but said the new limits impact only 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check remaining time will be detailed in November; Microsoft said it will keep an eye on feedback and may tweak the offering before the changes take effect.

The announcement comes as the "RAMpocalypse" — skyrocketing chip costs — makes console gaming increasingly expensive, forcing Sony and Microsoft to raise console prices and potentially delay the PlayStation 6 and next-gen Xbox, codenamed Project Helix. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, speaking after the company's latest financial report, called expensive hardware "not a good thing" and predicted the video game industry will be in "commercial streaming mode" within three years — but stressed streaming must run GTA 6 as well as consoles do. He added that it wouldn't surprise him if console makers' plans include heavy reliance on streaming. GTA 6 launches in November and is expected to boost console sales significantly.