Xbox Cloud Gaming Monthly Hour Limits Won't Apply to Existing Subs in Certain Countries - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 07 September 2026 / 2,842 Views
Xbox announced last week that starting in November it would be limited the number of hours of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox Game Pass subscribers and adding the ability to pay per hour of use.
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be limited to just 15 hours per month, while Premium subscribers will get 10 hours and Essential subscribers five hours.
Xbox has now emailed some Game Pass subscribers to let them know the new cap won't apply to them as long as they remain subscribed.
"Recently, you may have heard about changes to how cloud gaming is included with Xbox Game Pass subscriptions," reads the email. "At this time, these changes will only affect new purchases and will not affect your current subscription for the market in which you reside, as long as you are on an auto-recurring plan.
"Should you choose to cancel your plan and repurchase, you will receive a set number of cloud gaming hours each month, based on your plan. If for any reason there may be changes to your existing account, we will notify you at least 60 days in advance and you will have the option to cancel or change your subscription plan at any time."
Only subscribers in certain countries have gotten this email. A Reddit post has confirmed those in Australia, Brazil, Poland, and Germany have gotten the email, while no has reportedly received it in Xbox's biggest markets - the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Xbox says these changes are being made because "the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance. We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost.
"In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time.
"We’ll listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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It's kinda ridiculous they can do this to current subscribers in some countries. Imagine someone stacks 1-3 years with the intention of using it for cloud gaming just before they announced this lol...
If you can pay in advance they shouldn't be able to alter what your sub entitled you to.
Microsoft doesn't offer annual subscription option for premium or ultimate.
It's possible some people bought cards and stacked it that way. Its likely an insignificant number of people did that. MS could/should make an exception for those few people until their stack ends.
But of course, Americans will be subjected to this bullshit.
i cant keep up with this shit
we have dodged a bullet this gen folks
never let microslop win, it'll be the end of gaming if they ever win
Its honestly not a big deal. If you were someone using cloud gaming, you are gonna pay $6 to buy 15 hours of additional time. If you play games on an actual console, you are fine.
Xbox is actually the leader in cloud gaming. A consequence of that is people actually use their service and its expensive to operate. And people would obviously complain if they used ads to keep it profitable.
lol
rofl
