Xbox Slashes Game Pass Playtime Limits
Xbox is introducing monthly cloud gaming limits for its Game Pass subscribers, sparking controversy among players. Starting in November, users will have limited playtime, with 15 hours allowed for Game Pass Ultimate owners, 10 hours for Premium account holders, and 5 hours for Essential subscribers. The changes affect only 4% of Game Pass subscribers.
Users who run out of their monthly quota can purchase additional playtime through the Xbox Store, but prices have not been disclosed yet. Microsoft notes that cloud gaming will enable Xbox One owners to access games created for the more advanced Xbox Series X and S without updating their hardware.
Many players criticized the move, arguing that 15 hours of playtime per month is too low for the price. Some compared it unfavorably to arcade visits or suggested that Microsoft does not want Xbox to succeed.