Xbox to Limit Monthly Cloud Gaming Hours for Game Pass Subscribers

Microsoft's Xbox division said it will introduce monthly usage caps on its Game Pass cloud streaming service beginning in November. Subscribers to the Essential tier will be limited to five hours per month, Premium members to ten hours, and Ultimate members to fifteen hours. Users without a Game Pass subscription will still be able to buy streaming hours through the Xbox store, but the new policy ends unlimited streaming for all customers. The company noted that the limits are expected to affect about four percent of its Game Pass base. > "This change will only affect four percent of Game Pass subscribers," the blog post stated. The caps come as the industry anticipates the release of major titles such as Grand Theft Auto VI, which may be added to the streaming catalog in the future. If added, the maximum streaming time for that game would also be subject to the new limits.