Xbox Cloud Gaming Capped: Microsoft Imposes Hourly Limits
Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming service has been put on a tight leash. The company announced that it will start imposing hourly limits on users, starting from November 2026. This means that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will have a 15-hour cap, while Premium and Essential users will be limited to 10 hours and 5 hours respectively.
This is a significant change from the previous 'unlimited' access that Xbox Cloud Gaming provided. The move has been met with criticism from both within and outside the Xbox fanbase, with many questioning the business model behind the service.
NVIDIA GeForce Now, a competing cloud gaming platform, has already introduced hourly limits and offers more generous limits than Microsoft's new policy. GeForce Now also provides better quality streaming, with higher bitrates and lower latency.
Xbox Remote Play, another feature that allows users to stream games from their console to other devices, is also facing issues. The service is limited to 1080p resolution, despite being used on high-end hardware like the Xbox Series X/S. This has led some to speculate that Microsoft may be prioritizing its AI push over its gaming business.
The limits on Xbox Cloud Gaming have been met with frustration from users who rely on the service for their gaming needs. The changes are set to impact around 4% of Xbox Game Pass subscribers, which still amounts to well over a million players.