Xbox Cloud Gaming Adds Monthly Streaming Limits to Game Pass Plans

Microsoft is ending unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming access for Game Pass subscribers. Beginning in November, the company will introduce monthly streaming limits across its Game Pass plans, replacing the unlimited access originally announced in 2020 when the service was still known as Project xCloud.

Under the new Xbox Cloud Gaming rules, subscribers will receive the following monthly streaming allowances:

• Game Pass Ultimate ($23 per month): 15 hours of cloud gaming
• Game Pass Premium ($15 per month): 10 hours of cloud gaming
• Game Pass Essential ($10 per month): 5 hours of cloud gaming

Microsoft says subscribers who use their full monthly cloud gaming allowance will be able to buy additional streaming time. However, the company has not yet announced pricing or detailed availability for the extra hours. The change will not affect access to downloadable games included with a Game Pass subscription.

Players without a Game Pass subscription will also be able to purchase timed access to cloud versions of eligible games they own on supported devices, according to Microsoft’s announcement.

Microsoft is also testing a free, ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming option. In July, the company began testing ad-supported game streaming with Xbox Insiders, allowing players to access part of the cloud gaming library without an additional subscription fee.

Microsoft’s new limits place Xbox Cloud Gaming closer to competing game streaming services. Sony currently offers unlimited streaming for select PlayStation games through its top-tier PlayStation Plus Premium plan, which costs $20 per month.

Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service limits individual sessions to one hour on its free, ad-supported tier and up to eight hours on the $20-per-month Ultimate plan. Users can start multiple sessions in a day, while day passes provide temporary access to more than 2,000 supported games.

Who Will Be Affected by Xbox Cloud Gaming Limits?

Microsoft acknowledges that the new Xbox Cloud Gaming restrictions could increase costs for some subscribers. However, the company says the change will affect only about 4% of Game Pass members.

With an estimated 30 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers, that figure represents roughly 1.2 million people. These are the most frequent cloud gaming users—players who stream often enough that they may need to purchase additional time after using their monthly allowance.