Right now, cloud streaming with Xbox Game Pass is unlimited. In November, that will no longer be the case. That’s when Microsoft is going to start setting monthly caps on cloud gaming usage, even for the highest-paying members. The company tried to soften the stealth price hike by pointing out that very few people are using cloud gaming that much to begin with. “We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers,” Microsoft wrote on Thursday.
Starting in November, these will be the new xCloud limits for each tier of Game Pass:
- Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
- Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
- Game Pass Essential: 5 hours
At the same time, Microsoft says it will allow players to begin paying for cloud gaming by the hour, even if they don’t have a Game Pass subscription, though it hasn’t yet disclosed what that price will be. Metering the service makes sense. Why have Game Pass subscribers who never use the feature pay to subsidize those who use it almost exclusively? At the same time, it’s not like this change is coming alongside a lower Game Pass price for those other folks. The service is losing a benefit while the price stays the same.
“We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer,” Microsoft explained in a blog post. “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. In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time.”
In the meantime, Microsoft has already begun testing a free, ad-supported tier of cloud gaming.