Skip to content
Live newsroom 36 readers online
Friday, September 4, 2026 Live Sync: Just now
BreakingB.B. King’s journey from Mississippi to ‘King of the Blues’ gets new film
Share Suggestions SWING GOOGL Stage 1 (Conv: 2/5 | Size: 10%)

Xbox Cloud Gaming Changes Coming in November, Monthly Hour Limits and Ability to Pay Per Hour

" width='0' height='0' data-mode='scan' data-site-id='5b11330346e0fb00017cd841'>"; var a=document.getElementById("vmv3-frm"); a=a.contentWindow?a.contentWindow:a.contentDocument; a.document.open(); a.document.write("" + ""); a.document.close(); })(); _uacct = "UA-2243248-1"; urchinTracker(); var _qevents = _qevents || []; (function() { var elem = document.createElement("script"); elem.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://secure" : "http://edge") + ".quantserve.com/quant.js"; elem.async = true; elem.type = "text/javascript"; var scpt = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; scpt.parentNode.insertBefore(elem, scpt); })(); _qevents.push({ […]

By deepak · September 3, 2026 · 10 min read

" width='0' height='0' data-mode='scan' data-site-id='5b11330346e0fb00017cd841'>";
var a=document.getElementById("vmv3-frm");
a=a.contentWindow?a.contentWindow:a.contentDocument;
a.document.open();
a.document.write("" + "");
a.document.close();
})();

_uacct = "UA-2243248-1";
urchinTracker();

var _qevents = _qevents || [];
(function() {
var elem = document.createElement("script");
elem.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://secure" : "http://edge") + ".quantserve.com/quant.js";
elem.async = true;
elem.type = "text/javascript";
var scpt = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
scpt.parentNode.insertBefore(elem, scpt);
})();
_qevents.push({
qacct:"p-caA2vpL1Ek8_c"
});

var _comscore = _comscore || [];
_comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "6035334" });
(function() {
var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
s.async = true;
s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js";
el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);
})();

jQuery.browser = {};
(function () {
jQuery.browser.msie = false;
jQuery.browser.version = 0;
if (navigator.userAgent.match(/MSIE ([0-9]+)./)) {
jQuery.browser.msie = true;
jQuery.browser.version = RegExp.$1;
}
})();

$(document).ready(function(){ var didScroll;
var lastScrollTop = 0;
var delta = 5;
var navbarHeight = $("#additional_news").outerHeight();

$(".mainOutsideContainer").scroll(function(event){
didScroll = true;
});

setInterval(function() {
if (didScroll) {
hasScrolled();
didScroll = false;
}
}, 250);

function hasScrolled() {
var st = $(".mainOutsideContainer").scrollTop();
var adheight = $("#topAdContainer").css("height");
if (typeof adheight == "undefined")
adheight=0;
var margintop="-" + (parseInt($("#mainContainerSub").css("margin-top")) + parseInt(adheight) + 15) + "px";
// Make sure they scroll more than delta
if(Math.abs(lastScrollTop – st) <= delta)
return;

// If they scrolled down and are past the navbar, add class .nav-up.
// This is necessary so you never see what is "behind" the navbar.
if (st <= 70) {
$("#additional_news").removeClass("news-scroll-up").addClass("news-scroll-down");
$("#content").css("padding-top","5px");
$(".news-scroll-down").css("margin-top", "auto");
}
else {
if (st > lastScrollTop) {
//scrolling down
$("#additional_news").removeClass("news-scroll-up").addClass("news-scroll-down");
$("#content").css("padding-top","5px");
$(".news-scroll-down").css("margin-top", "auto");
}
else {
//else, scrolling up
//fixed position because we are scrolling up
$("#additional_news").removeClass("news-scroll-down").addClass("news-scroll-up");
$("#content").css("padding-top","125px");

$(".news-scroll-up").css("margin-top", margintop);
}
}
if ($(".news-scroll-up").length)
$(".news-scroll-up").width($("#content").width());

lastScrollTop = st;
} $("#mobile-menu-icon").on("click", function(){
$("#mainMenu").toggleClass("visible");
});
$(".hasSubMenu").on("click", function(){
if ($("#mainMenu").hasClass("visible")) {
$(this).parent().toggleClass("hover");
if ($(this).hasClass("no-heading")){
$(this).parent().children().find("div.links").toggleClass("hover");
}
}
});
$(".subMenu .heading>a").on("click", function(){
console.log($(this).parent().parent().children("div.links").html());
$(this).parent().parent().children("div.links").toggleClass("hover");
});
$("#buddyTabsList").find("a").click(function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
$(this).tab("show");
});
$("#buddyIconImg").on("click", function(){
console.log("viewport", $(window).width());
if ($(window).width() < 992){
$("#buddyContainer").removeClass("detached narrow").css("top", "inherit").css("left", "inherit");
console.log($("#buddyContainer").css("top"));
$("#detach-buddy").removeClass("fa-times").addClass("fa-external-link");
}
});
$("#detach-buddy").on("click", function(){
$detachButton = $(this);
$buddyContainer = $("#buddyContainer");
$buddyContainer.toggleClass("detached");
$("#mainContainerSub").toggleClass("detached");
$("#buddyIconBox").toggleClass("detached");
if ($buddyContainer.hasClass("detached")){
$buddyContainer.addClass("narrow");
$buddyContainer.attr("style", "top: 90px;");
$detachButton.removeClass("fa-external-link").addClass("fa-times");
} else {
$buddyContainer.attr("style", "");
$buddyContainer.removeClass("narrow");
$detachButton.removeClass("fa-times").addClass("fa-external-link");
}
save_position();
});
$("#buddy-size").on("click", function(){
$(this).parents("#buddyContainer").toggleClass("narrow");
save_position();
});
$("#buddyContainer").find(".buddyHeader").on("mousedown", function(e) {
$buddyBox = $(this).parent();
oldLeft = e.pageX;
oldTop = e.pageY;
oldElementLeft = $(".buddyHeader").offset().left;
oldElementTop = $(".buddyHeader").offset().top;
if ($buddyBox.hasClass("detached")) {
$buddyBox.addClass("draggable").on("mousemove", function (e) {
offsetLeft = oldLeft – e.pageX;
offsetTop = oldTop – e.pageY;

$(".draggable").offset({
top: oldElementTop – offsetTop,
left: oldElementLeft – offsetLeft
}).on("mouseup", function () {
$buddyBox.removeClass("draggable");
$buddyBox.unbind();
});
});
}
e.preventDefault();
}).on("mouseup", function() {
$(".draggable").unbind();
$(".draggable").removeClass("draggable");
save_position();
});
$("#socialMediaIconBox").on("click", function(){
$("#subBar").hide();
$("#subBarSearch").hide();
$("#subBarSocial").slideDown(500);
});
$("#searchIconBox").on("click", function(){
$("#subBar").hide();
$("#subBarSocial").hide();
$("#subBarSearch").slideDown(500);
});

$("#blue-theme").on("click", function(){
$(".vgc-theme").each(function() {
cssFile=$(this).data("css");
cssBClass=cssFile + "_blue";
cssDClass=cssFile + "_dark";
if ($("." + cssBClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssBClass).prop("disabled", false);
else {
cssPath=$(this).attr("href");
cssPath=cssPath.substr(0, cssPath.lastIndexOf("/")) + "/";
$("<link class='" + cssBClass + "' href='" + cssPath + cssFile + "_blue.css?assetVersion=1.99037' rel='stylesheet'>").appendTo("head");
}
if ($("." + cssDClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssDClass).prop("disabled", true);
});
$("#searchIconBox img").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/images/search-icon_blue.png");
if($(".shipchart_3ds").length)
$(".shipchart_3ds").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com//images/3DS_console.png");
$.ajax({
type: "GET",
url: "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/includes/responsive/set_sitetheme.php",
data: {sitetheme: 2},
dataType: "jsonp"
});
});

$("#dark-theme").on("click", function(){
$(".vgc-theme").each(function() {
cssFile=$(this).data("css");
cssBClass=cssFile + "_blue";
cssDClass=cssFile + "_dark";
if ($("." + cssDClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssDClass).prop("disabled", false);
else {
cssPath=$(this).attr("href");
cssPath=cssPath.substr(0, cssPath.lastIndexOf("/")) + "/";
$("<link class='" + cssDClass + "' href='" + cssPath + cssFile + "_dark.css?assetVersion=1.99037' rel='stylesheet'>").appendTo("head");
}
if ($("." + cssBClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssBClass).prop("disabled", true);
});
$("#searchIconBox img").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/images/search-icon.png");
if($(".shipchart_3ds").length)
$(".shipchart_3ds").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com//images/3DS_console_dark.png");
$.ajax({
type: "GET",
url: "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/includes/responsive/set_sitetheme.php",
data: {sitetheme: 1},
dataType: "jsonp"
});
});

$("#standard-theme").on("click", function(){
$(".vgc-theme").each(function() {
cssFile=$(this).data("css");
cssBClass=cssFile + "_blue";
cssDClass=cssFile + "_dark";
if ($("." + cssDClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssDClass).prop("disabled", true);
if ($("." + cssBClass).length > 0)
$("." + cssBClass).prop("disabled", true);
});
$("#searchIconBox img").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/images/search-icon.png");
if($(".shipchart_3ds").length)
$(".shipchart_3ds").attr("src", "https://www.vgchartz.com//images/3DS_console.png");
$.ajax({
type: "GET",
url: "https://www.vgchartz.com/assets/includes/responsive/set_sitetheme.php",
data: {sitetheme: 0},
dataType: "jsonp"
});
});

$(window).resize(function() {
lineLoop("lines", 5);
});

$(function(){
$(".spoiler-text").hide();
$(".spoiler-toggle").click(function(){
$(this).next().toggle();
}); // end spoiler-toggle
}); // end function

function save_position(){
detached = ($("#buddyContainer").hasClass("detached")) ? 1 : 0;
narrow = ($("#buddyContainer").hasClass("narrow")) ? 1 : 0;
topPosition = $("#buddyContainer").css("top");
leftPosition = $("#buddyContainer").css("left");
$.ajax({
method: "post",
url: "https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/assets/handlers/save_position.php",
data: ({
"userid" : 0,
"detached" : detached,
"narrow" : narrow,
"topPosition" : topPosition,
"leftPosition" : leftPosition
}),
success: function(data) {
//Nothing
}
});
}

function calculateLineCount(element, i) {
var textHeight = element.css("height")
document.getElementById("figcaption" + i.toString()).style.bottom= (textHeight);
return true
}

function lineLoop(elementId, num) {
for (i=0; i < num; i++) {
elem=elementId + i.toString();
if (document.getElementById(elem)!=null) {
calculateLineCount($("#" + elem), i);
}
}
}

//#lines are used in "top 5" articles heading on front page
//function is used to calculate number of lines based upon height
lineLoop("lines", 5);

//this functionality allows for any <th> heading to become "sortable"
var getCellValue = function(tr, idx){
return tr.children[idx].dataset.value || tr.children[idx].innerText || tr.children[idx].textContent;
};
var comparer = function(idx, asc) {
return function(a, b) {
return function(v1, v2) {
return v1 !== "" && v2 !== "" && !isNaN(v1) && !isNaN(v2) ? v1 – v2 : v1.toString().localeCompare(v2);
}(getCellValue(asc ? a : b, idx), getCellValue(asc ? b : a, idx));
}
};

// do the work…
Array.prototype.slice.call(document.querySelectorAll("th")).forEach(function(th) {
th.addEventListener("click", function() {
var table = th.parentNode
while(table.tagName.toUpperCase() != "TABLE")
table = table.parentNode;
Array.prototype.slice.call(table.querySelectorAll("tr:nth-child(n+2)"))
.sort(comparer(Array.prototype.slice.call(th.parentNode.children).indexOf(th), this.asc = !this.asc))
.forEach(function(tr) {
table.appendChild(tr)
});
})
});

}); // end document ready

var switchTo5x=true;

stLight.options({
publisher: "618b1cf3-3d40-4b84-a2e1-a2169f16a2f2"
});

Xbox announced starting in November there will be major changes coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming including a limited number of hours per tier of Xbox Game Pass and the ability to pay per hour of use.

Here is the max number of hours included in each tier of Game Pass:

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.

We hear you Asha, now what was that about affordability you will shilling about to BBC last week?

Sign me up for zero hours.
Wait, is that also a paid option? Never mind.

Let the enshittification continue, even for products that are already shit.

shit, i guess sooner or later they might figure out the right recipe

I understand limiting hours, but 15 hours for Ultimate subs is way too low. As far as I know Xbox Cloud Gaming runs on Xbox Series X consoles. Maybe they are doing this now as they will be upgrading them with Project Helix consoles once those launch in 2027/2028.

Interesting to know averages of those who do use it. Let's say you own BG3 and are doing a new play, can't be arsed to install it so streaming it is, 15 hours barely gets you to end of Act 1. Yet how many people are using it that much?
The fact there are limits listed makes me think there are some using it way way more but most don't even use it.

I can survive on 15 hours… At most I ever use is a couple here and there for games I want to test drive before committing to fully installing.

For now, until it's the only option in the future to play games.

Source: Read the original article on www.vgchartz.com

Important Legal & Financial Disclaimer

FutureKnowledge is an automated financial intelligence aggregator. The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the website's content as such. We are not registered with the SEC, SEBI, or any regulatory agency. Automated AI-generated content may contain errors. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

© 2026 FutureKnowledge Intelligence. All rights reserved.