Game Pass Is Getting Worse, And More Expensive

Microsoft has made a big announcement about one of the big perks of Xbox Game Pass, cloud streaming, and the news is not great. Starting in November, Microsoft will put limits on how many hours per month people can use the service, and then allow people to pay more to unlock more time. Below is a breakdown of how many hours you'll get included with the tier of Game Pass you're subscribed to: Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours Game Pass Premium: 10 hours Game Pass Essential: 5 hours Microsoft said it understands this is a "meaningful change," especially for those who use the cloud regularly for gaming. However, the company said it estimates that these changes will impact about 4% of Game Pass subscribers, though the company did not share any specifics on how it arrived at that projection. A first look at the "cloud playtime remaining" UI on Xbox. For people who want or need more monthly streaming hours, Microsoft will allow people to buy more--but pricing was not announced. Additionally, Microsoft said that in November, for the first time, people will not need to have an Xbox Game Pass membership to stream games with the cloud. People outside of Game Pass will be able to buy cloud playti…