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Microsoft Slashes Xbox Game Pass Limits Amid Rising Costs
Microsoft is shaking up its cloud gaming service, Xbox Game Pass, by imposing time limits on subscribers. The company cited rising costs as the reason for this change.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get 15 hours of playing time per month, while Premium account holders will be limited to 10 hours, and Essential pass holders will have five hours of cloud-based playtime each month.
The changes will take effect in November, with the new pricing plans announced as follows: $22.99 U.S. for Ultimate, $14.99 U.S. for Premium, and $9.99 U.S. for Essential.
Xbox's move to limit gaming time comes amidst a push to make its video game unit more profitable, following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 for $68.7 billion U.S.