One of the absolute greatest strengths of Xbox Game Pass has always been the ability to stream and play games whenever you fancy, on pretty much any device you own, without any annoying time limits. Well, mate, that little luxury is about to fade away starting in November. Microsoft is shifting the model so that cloud playtime will be capped monthly based on your subscription tier, forcing you to top up with a pay-as-you-go system if you run out.

Microsoft dropped the news on the Xbox official website on September 3, outlining sweeping changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting in November, cloud gaming hours will be strictly limited. Depending on how much you pay for your subscription, the monthly caps are set at 15 hours for Xbox Ultimate, 10 hours for Premium, and 5 hours for Essential. Once you burn through your allotted hours, you will need to purchase extra time directly from the Xbox Store, though availability and purchase options might vary depending on your region.

Addressing this rather cheeky decision, Microsoft stated, "The cost of providing cloud gaming services increases as more people use them and play for longer periods, which is why we are introducing this model. Through a monthly usage cap, we can continue investing in stability and performance while keeping the service running."

Microsoft also added, "We understand that this might substantially increase the financial burden for some users, and we expect about 4% of Game Pass subscribers to be affected by this change." Exactly what metric was used to pull that 4% figure out of a hat remains a mystery, though. Pricing for extra play-time, eligible titles, regional availability, and how to check your remaining hours will all be revealed in November.

On the bright side—or at least an alternative side—starting in November, you will actually be able to use cloud gaming without needing an active Game Pass subscription at all. You can simply buy cloud play time directly from the Xbox Store and stream your games. Microsoft noted, "This gives another option to users who only want to use cloud gaming occasionally or do not want a regular Game Pass subscription, and we plan to add cloud support for even more games this year."