Xbox Cloud Gaming is no longer unlimited from November. Every Game Pass plan will come with a set number of cloud gaming hours each month, and once you use them up you will need to buy more or wait for the next month.
Microsoft announced the change on Xbox Wire on September 3. It has not given an exact start date beyond “November”, so the limits could arrive any day once the month begins.
How many cloud hours each Game Pass plan gets
| Plan | US price | Cloud hours per month |
|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99 | 15 hours |
| Game Pass Premium | $14.99 | 10 hours |
| Game Pass Essential | $9.99 | 5 hours |
| PC Game Pass | – | Not included |
Fifteen hours works out to about half an hour a day. Ultimate has had unlimited cloud gaming since 2020, and Premium and Essential only gained cloud access within the past year, so this is the first time any plan has had a cap.
What happens when you run out
You will be able to buy extra cloud gaming hours from the Xbox Store. Microsoft has not announced the price of those hours yet, so be wary of anyone quoting a per-hour figure.
Cloud gaming without Game Pass
The other half of the change is new: from November, you will be able to buy cloud hours without any Game Pass subscription and use them to stream eligible Xbox games you already own. That turns cloud gaming into a pay-as-you-go service for people who only stream now and then.
Why Microsoft is doing it
Microsoft points to the rising cost of running cloud servers, and says the limits will only affect around 4% of subscribers, the ones who stream heavily. For most players who use cloud gaming to try a game before downloading it, or to play away from the console, 15 hours a month is likely to be enough.
Who should plan ahead
- Cloud-only players without a console or gaming PC are hit hardest. Check how many hours you stream now before November starts.
- Anyone planning to stream big launches. November is GTA 6’s month. Whether it will stream at all is still unclear: see what is confirmed about GTA 6 on Xbox Cloud Gaming.
- Battlefield 6 players on Ultimate. It joined Game Pass this week, and a big multiplayer game burns through hours quickly. Installing it is the safer bet: here is which Game Pass plans include Battlefield 6.