In the latest edition of “Thanks, I hate it,” Xbox is limiting the monthly cloud gaming hours in all Game Pass tiers. Starting in November, Ultimate subscribers can play for 15 hours; Premium subscribers get 10 hours; and Essential only gets five.
What happens if you run out of hours? Xbox, in all its generosity, will let you purchase more from the store. It hasn’t provided details on the exact pricing, though this (and other factors, like purchasing options) will vary. Those who aren’t subscribed to Game Pass but want to access cloud gaming can also purchase these hours.
Xbox One players can play Xbox Series X/S titles through this method, which somewhat addresses the shortage of current-gen hardware and rising prices. Only select titles are supported, but Xbox will expand this functionality “throughout the year.”
As for why it’s making this change (which it notes will impact four percent of subscribers), the company says, “The cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance. We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost.”
More details will be provided in November before the limits go live, though Xbox is looking “closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect.” While it’s seemingly open to making adjustments, you have to wonder how quickly those will happen if there’s significant backlash.
You have to wonder how common cloud gaming usage really is to warrant that. Then again, if it wasn’t, would Xbox really bother introducing monthly caps? There are a lot of questions to answer and hopefully more clarity down the line, so stay tuned.
