Xbox Cloud Gaming Changes Are an Unintentional Own Goal in Console Wars
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It is safe to say that Playstation are one of the worst-looking brands in the world right now. Sony made the controversial and unpopular decision to discontinue disc-based gaming from 2028, with GTA 6 being completely digital in one of AAA gaming’s first major stands against consumers. It seemed like a chance for Nintendo and Xbox to present their case to be the new company of the people, reinforcing a dedication to consumers and gaining a public win; instead, we saw Xbox take an unforced step back as they announced changes to their cloud gaming setup.
What Xbox Has Changed
In a move that is about as stable as a Crypto Casino, Microsoft confirmed caps to their cloud gaming limits coming later this year, meaning that people already giving them money will have their play time arbitrarily limited….unless, of course, they buy more hours. Whatever the explanation they may have, the reality is this will be viewed by consumers as being limited in what they can do, with a limit imposed on them for a console and games that they own unless they pay even more money to the company that already got hundreds of dollars from them, if not thousands, over the lifetime of subscriptions and game purchases.
The specifics are that Game Pass Essential members will get 5 hours of monthly cloud gaming. Game Pass Premium members will get 10, and Game Pass Ultimate will get 15 hours. It is currently unconfirmed how much it will cost to buy extra time of cloud gaming but 15 hours is an absurdly low limit for an entire month of playing.
Only 15 Hours Maximum
15 hours on the surface may not seem too bad to the general reader, but over the past decade or so, most AAA video games have become vast, open-world, RPG-like experiences that see players tasked with traversing a map to find everything they can. 15 hours per month as a limit for the most expensive subscription isn’t even enough to play the story of some titles. On the bright side, this will give Cloud Game players more time to spend at the best crypto casino Canada.
A quick look through a site like How Long to Beat puts this news into perspective. One of the best games in recent memory, The Witcher 3 is listed as 51 hours just to beat the base game, with an increase to 175 for a full completionist run. Horizon Zero Dawn is deemed a 29-hour base experience with an increase to 75 for a completionist. Uber-popular GTA V is a 32-hour gaming experience that can increase to about 90 for 100%. It could take multiple months under the new Cloud Gaming limit to actually play some of these games without having to pay extra for more hours.
An Unforced Error
PlayStation is destined to be public enemy number 1. Killing physical games, dynamic pricing, and other moves have made a lot of players question whether they’ll even get the next Sony console. All Xbox had to do was be the home console of the people, double down on discs and sales, and show respect for the time and monetary commitment that people make. Instead, they’ve brought in limits that are sure to hurt their reputation, whether there’s intricacy to their decision or not.