The Microsoft Xbox logo at the Gamescom computer games trade fair in Cologne, Germany, August 26, 2026.
Cristian Bosi | Bloomberg | Getty Images
microsoft’s Xbox Unit announced Thursday that the company will impose a monthly cloud gaming time limit on Game Pass subscribers, who have had unlimited access for years, in an effort to find a better balance between usage and cost.
Players will be able to pay for additional time above the cap that takes effect in November.
Microsoft executives have been devising ways to bill customers based on usage to better reflect cost increases across the product organization. Like its peers, demand for software companies’ finite computing power is increasing, and customers of artificial intelligence products like GitHub Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot are increasingly paying based on usage.
“We are introducing this model because as more people use cloud gaming and the longer they play, the cost of providing cloud gaming increases,” Xbox said in a blog post. “Moving to monthly limits allows us to continue delivering our services while continuing to invest in reliability and performance. We understand that for some players, the practical result is higher costs.”
Users with the high-end Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs $22.99 per month, will have access to 15 hours of cloud gaming. According to the blog post, Game Pass Premium account holders who pay $14.99 per month get 10 hours of cloud-based playtime, while Game Pass Essential, which costs $9.99 per month, includes five hours.
Inside Xbox, new CEO Asha Sharma has been hard at work evaluating business model changes to get the division back on track for growth and increase profitability. Xbox announced in July that it would be testing ad-supported game streaming.
According to Microsoft, just 4% of Game Pass subscribers are spending more time each month streaming games via the cloud. The company did not disclose charges for overtime.
According to Xbox, people who don’t subscribe to Game Pass will also be able to purchase cloud gaming time and stream games they already own.
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