Don’t forget to look at the clock while you play!
Early November, Microsoft‘s Xbox will impose monthly cloud gaming limits on its Game Pass subscriptions, the company announced in a blog post. Currently, eligible subscribers can stream games with no monthly hour limit.
“We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, especially for players who regularly spend more time gaming via the cloud,” the company wrote. “We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers.”
Starting in November, the $22.99 per month Game Pass Ultimate subscription will include 15 hours of cloud gaming every month. Premium members who pay $14.99 per month get 10 hours, while Essential members get five hours with their $9.99 monthly subscriptions.
Players who use these hours can purchase more cloud time via the Xbox Shop.
Cloud gaming has given owners of older Xbox hardware a way to play games designed for newer systems without buying a whole new console. Game Pass subscribers can try games from the catalog before paying for the full download.
Xbox said it made the change because “the cost of providing cloud gaming increases” as players use the service more often and play longer.
Gamers have had to deal with rising costs for hardware, games and subscriptions amid rising memory and storage costs.
Xbox did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s questions about the price of additional play time.
