Announced a few days ago, Microsoft is set to introduce some fairly significant changes for fans of their cloud gaming service. Set to go live in November, these changes will restrict the number of hours you can play based on your chosen Game Pass tier. You can find a breakdown of the upcoming limits below:

• Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
• Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
• Game Pass Essential: 5 hours

On top of these base numbers, players will be able to buy additional time directly via the Xbox Store. It's worth mentioning here that you won't need a subscription to do so, opening the service up to those outside of Game Pass for the first time. These changes come on the back of rising costs, with the official press release stating these changes are only likely to impact 4% of their active users.

According to reports online, some users are receiving emails to say these changes won't affect them while their current subscription remains active. It is not currently known whether this will be the case globally, though subscribers in Australia, Poland, and Brazil seem to have come forward so far with confirmation.

Microsoft aren't the first to introduce this type of cap to their streaming services, with Nvidia's GeForce Now having had similar measures go into effect at the start of the year. At the time of writing, GeForce Now limits users to a total of 100 hours of playtime each month (excluding those on the Founders plan), with up to 15 of those carrying over to the following month.

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[deSSy2724]

This is still better than killing video games forever (and its "streaming" anyway, not owning/holding the game)

Also, Denuvo on PC kinda looks now okay compared to what Sony is doing with physical games and even movies etc. by removing them from stores, even from your own "inventory" even when you bought all those games and movies.

Denuvo is atleast subscription based (nowadays and future games) and they officially remove it regulary.. atleast 1-2 years after release,.. its something atleast.

 

[Exnor]

The only thing more hilarious than that is the morons who will pay it.

That's not hilarious, that is sad because the morons will spoil the market for the rest of us.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 5:57 PM

Well well who knew that cloud gaming would not be sustainable? Oh wait, Google knew it.

Nice move from MS towards killing their cloud gaming platform.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 5:58 PM

I fucking knew they would pull some shit like this!

It was the plan all along. Get the consumer comfortable with the service, then milk the sh*t out of them.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 6:00 PM

I just think its funny that everybody here is complaining/ whining about this when "these changes are only likely to impact 4% of their active users." People will bitch and cry about anything nowdays, I swear. I bet the majority of these comments come from users whom don't even Xbox or Gamepass, but still gotta whine.

I agree. I rarely use the cloud gaming i have on my gamepass base (aka Live gold). I mostly use it to try the games on gamepass before having to wait for them to download.

Other friends i have that also use Xbox live, never even tried the streaming option because they see no use for it.

 

[Defective1Up]

They could have just done this and not said anything and no one would have noticed...

 

[flingrocks]

15 hours a month!!!? That'll barely last a week! What are they thinking? So much for Ultimate being peak.

 

[Bladexdsl]

the only reason to get an xbox was because of gamepass and now they are killing that

 

[BigOnYa]

i should have known they had something up their sleeves after all the "we are still physical" taunting to sony now they pull this absolutely atrocious bullshit I've ever heard in my entire fucking life!!

and everyone says "why to get an xbox?" because of gamepass...but now it's a complete waste of time and money! you will pay absurd amounts to trial and like it! watch their gamepass subscriptions drop by 50% after this and this places mic at first place in the race to kill their brand between them and sony now

the only reason to get an xbox was because of gamepass and now they are killing that

We get it already, you secretly want a Xbox.