XBOX has announced it will end unlimited XBOX Cloud Gaming for Game Pass subscribers beginning in November. XBOX Game Pass Ultimate will include 15 hours of cloud gaming each month, XBOX Game Pass Premium will include 10 hours, and XBOX Game Pass Essential will include five.
That’s a major change from how XBOX Cloud Gaming works today. Eligible XBOX Game Pass subscribers can currently stream without a monthly hour cap. Once the new limits arrive, subscribers who use all of their included time will have to buy more cloud playtime through the XBOX Store.
At the same time, XBOX is opening another way into XBOX Cloud Gaming. Beginning in November, people without XBOX Game Pass can buy cloud playtime and stream eligible games they own on supported devices.
XBOX Game Pass Cloud Gaming Drops to 5, 10, or 15 Hours a Month
The amount of XBOX Cloud Gaming included each month will depend on your XBOX Game Pass plan. XBOX Game Pass Ultimate gets 15 hours, XBOX Game Pass Premium gets 10 hours, and XBOX Game Pass Essential gets five hours.
Once those hours are gone, subscribers will be able to buy additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store. We don’t know how much that will cost yet, how many hours will come with each purchase, or whether there will be different options.
For anyone who regularly goes past 15 hours, the change could mean paying more on top of XBOX Game Pass Ultimate. An XBOX Game Pass Ultimate subscriber who uses all 15 included hours would need to buy more cloud playtime to keep streaming that month.
The exact purchasing options and available cloud gaming features may also vary by market.
XBOX Is Expanding Cloud Gaming Beyond the Game Pass Subscription
The other major change is that XBOX Cloud Gaming will no longer require an XBOX Game Pass subscription in every case.
People will be able to purchase cloud playtime directly through the XBOX Store and stream eligible games they already own. That gives people another option if they only want XBOX Cloud Gaming occasionally or don’t want a recurring XBOX Game Pass subscription.
That could also expand cloud access on older XBOX consoles. XBOX specifically points to XBOX One, where XBOX Cloud Gaming can provide access to eligible XBOX Series X|S games that can’t run natively on the older console.
The company is separately testing another way to use XBOX Cloud Gaming without paid XBOX Game Pass access. In July, XBOX began an ad-supported test with Insiders that lets them stream select games they own for free after watching ads before a session. Sessions are limited to one hour, and the ads don’t interrupt gameplay.
The ad-supported test and November’s paid cloud playtime aren’t the same program, and XBOX hasn’t said how or whether they’ll eventually fit together. XBOX is now testing several ways to offer cloud gaming outside the traditional XBOX Game Pass subscription.
XBOX Cloud Gaming Joins GeForce NOW With Monthly Cloud Gaming Limits
Monthly playtime limits are already part of GeForce NOW. GeForce NOW Performance and Ultimate memberships now include 100 hours per month, with up to 15 unused hours rolling over to the following month.
NVIDIA announced the 100-hour allowance in 2024 and initially protected existing paid members from the limit. Grandfathered subscribers retained unlimited playtime until their first billing date after January 15, 2026. GeForce NOW Founders memberships remain unlimited as long as they stay active.
GeForce NOW also lets Performance and Ultimate members buy additional playtime after reaching 100 hours. XBOX Game Pass Ultimate will include 15 hours of XBOX Cloud Gaming each month, and XBOX hasn’t said what extra cloud playtime will cost yet.
XBOX Expects 4% of Game Pass Subscribers to Be Affected
XBOX estimates the new limits will affect about 4% of XBOX Game Pass subscribers. NVIDIA made a similar argument when it introduced its 100-hour allowance, saying 94% of GeForce NOW members typically stayed within that amount.
The company points to the rising cost of running XBOX Cloud Gaming as more people use it and play for longer. It says the limits will let it continue investing in reliability and performance, while acknowledging that some subscribers could end up paying more.
The biggest unanswered question is price.
We still don’t know what extra cloud playtime will cost or how the additional hours will be sold. XBOX also hasn’t detailed market availability or which owned games will be eligible.
More information is coming in November, including pricing, purchasing options, eligible games, market availability, and how you can check your remaining XBOX Cloud Gaming time.
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