Xbox Cloud Gaming limits: 15 hours a month, or a whole PC
From November 2026, Game Pass comes with a cloud gaming allowance. Shadow PC Lite includes 120 hours a month, eight times Ultimate's. Updated October 2026.
See the offers- From November: 5, 10 or 15 h on Game Pass
- 120 h a month on Shadow PC Lite
- 210 h on Shadow PC
The short answer. From November 2026, the Xbox Cloud Gaming limit depends on your Game Pass plan: 5 hours a month on Essential, 10 on Premium and 15 on Ultimate. Microsoft announced it on September 3, 2026. Extra hours will be sold on the Xbox Store, at a price it has not published yet.
Shadow PC works differently. It is a complete Windows PC in the cloud with a dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPU: Shadow PC Lite includes 120 hours of play a month, eight times Ultimate's cloud allowance, and the Shadow PC range 210. You run the PC versions of your games, from Steam, Battle.net or the Xbox app, with their mods.
If the new Xbox Cloud Gaming limit is too short for the way you play, this page compares the two.
Compared on October 14, 2026, from Xbox's announcement and Game Pass pages.
Xbox Cloud Gaming and Shadow PC, side by side
Where Xbox Cloud Gaming does it, it gets the tick. Shadow PC prices are on the offers below.
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Shadow PC | |
|---|---|---|
| Play time per month |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
5 h, 10 h or 15 h from November 2026
|
Shadow PC
120 h (Lite), 210 h (Shadow PC)
|
| Extra hours |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Sold on the Xbox Store, price not announced
|
Shadow PC
Included
|
| What you stream |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Console games from Game Pass and your own list
|
Shadow PC
A complete Windows PC
|
| Game versions |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox console
|
Shadow PC
PC
|
| Steam, Battle.net, Epic Games |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
No
|
Shadow PC
Yes
|
| Mods from Nexus Mods or the Steam Workshop |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
No
|
Shadow PC
Yes
|
| Smart TVs, consoles, Meta Quest |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Yes
|
Shadow PC
No
|
| Phones, browsers, Mac |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Yes
|
Shadow PC
Yes
|
| Price |
Xbox Cloud Gaming
$9.99 to $22.99 a month (Game Pass, US)
|
Shadow PC
See the offers below
|
Xbox data from Xbox Wire (September 3, 2026), xbox.com and Windows Central (September 3, 2026), checked on October 6, 2026. Shadow PC prices are on the offers block.
Which one is for you
Choose Xbox Cloud Gaming if
- you already pay for Game Pass and play a few hours a month
- your games are in the cloud catalog
- you want to play on a smart TV, a console or a Meta Quest
Choose Shadow PC if
- 15 hours a month is not enough
- you want the PC versions of your games, from any store
- you mod your games or play on Battle.net
- you want Discord, clips and streaming on the same PC
The new Xbox Cloud Gaming limit, plan by plan
Here is what Game Pass will include from November 2026: Essential, $9.99 a month, 5 hours of cloud gaming. Premium, $14.99, 10 hours. Ultimate, $22.99, 15 hours. Past that, you buy extra playtime on the Xbox Store. Windows Central reports that those hours will not expire, and Microsoft promises prices before the change.
Microsoft gives a plain reason: the cost of running cloud gaming grows with use. It expects the limit to affect 4% of Game Pass subscribers, the ones who play in the cloud the most.
Fifteen hours is about two evenings a week. Shadow PC Lite gives you 120 hours, and Shadow PC 210, with sessions of up to 6 hours.
Console versions, or the PC versions
Xbox Cloud Gaming streams games built for Xbox consoles: the Game Pass titles that support the cloud, plus a list of games you own. Many accept a mouse and keyboard, but each one is the console edition.
Shadow PC runs Windows. You install the PC version of a game from the store where you bought it, Steam, Battle.net, Epic Games, or the Xbox app, which our players already open on their Shadow PC.
Microsoft's own games show the difference. World of Warcraft and Diablo IV, both on Battle.net, are among the games our players spend the most time in, with Flight Simulator 2024 and Skyrim close behind.
Mods, servers and everything around the game
A game streamed from a catalog runs the way it ships. The PC version is where modding lives: Nexus Mods for Skyrim and Fallout 4, the Steam Workshop, texture packs, private servers.
On Shadow PC you install a mod manager like on any Windows PC, and your load order is still there at the next session. The same goes for the rest of the evening. Discord runs next to the game, Medal clips your best moment, OBS streams it.
It is still a PC: you download and install whatever you want, at 1 Gb/s.
Where the others do better
Xbox Cloud Gaming comes with Game Pass. If you play a few hours a month, it costs nothing more than the subscription you already have. It also runs on Samsung, LG and Amazon smart TVs, Meta Quest headsets and Xbox consoles, with nothing to install.
GeForce Now is the cheaper way to more hours. Its paid plans include 100 hours a month and stream games from your Steam, Epic and Ubisoft libraries. If all you want is more time on games from a list, start there.
Shadow PC is for when you want the whole PC: any store, any mod, any app, and up to 210 hours a month.
Play without counting the hours
Shadow PC Lite for 120 hours a month, Shadow PC for 210 hours and two screens. No commitment, you can switch as you go.
Neo Lite
per month
Perfect for occasional gaming in 1440p with RTX
Up to 120 hours of playtime per month, sessions up to 4hStream to any device in 1440pInstall your games & mods from Steam, Epic, Battle.net...*Upgrade to Shadow PC anytime as you play more
Power Lite
per month
Up to 50% more GPU power than Neo28GB RAM / 20GB VRAM for better in-game performanceUp to 120 hours of playtime per month, sessions up to 4hStream to any device in 1440pInstall your games & mods from Steam, Epic, Battle.net...*Upgrade to Shadow PC anytime as you play more
Neo
For the first six months, 32,99€ after.
Perfect for 1080/1440p gaming with RTXStream to any device up to 1440p+Install your games & mods from Steam, Epic, Battle.net...*Multi screen and ultrawide supportNVIDIA RTX and DLSS compatibility
Power
For the first six months, 49,99€ after.
Up to 50% more GPU power
28GB RAM / 20GB VRAM for better gaming performanceStream to any device up to 5K+Install your games & mods from Steam, Epic, Battle.net...*Multi screen and ultrawide supportNVIDIA RTX and DLSS compatibility
Neo Pro
For the first six months, 39,99€ after.
Real-time 3D and rendering at the best priceStream on your devices up to 1440p+Install your software & CUDA/RTX workflows...*Priority access & Longer sessionsEasy users & subscriptions management
Power Pro
For the first six months, 54,99€ after.
Up to 50% more GPU power28GB RAM / 20GB VRAM for 3D and gamingStream to any device up to 4K+Install your software & CUDA/RTX workflows...*Priority access & Longer sessionsEasy users & subscriptions managementQuestions about Xbox Cloud Gaming limits
From November 2026, Game Pass plans include a set number of cloud gaming hours each month: 5 on Essential ($9.99 a month), 10 on Premium ($14.99) and 15 on Ultimate ($22.99), according to Microsoft's announcement of September 3, 2026 and US prices reported by Windows Central. Once the hours are used, you can buy more on the Xbox Store.
In November 2026. Microsoft announced the change on September 3, 2026 without giving an exact day, and said it would share pricing and details before the limits take effect. Until then, eligible Game Pass subscribers can stream without a monthly limit. Microsoft has also told existing members in some countries, including France and Germany, that the limits will not apply to them as long as their plan renews automatically. It has not published the list of countries.
Microsoft has not published it yet. Its announcement says extra cloud playtime will be sold on the Xbox Store, with options that may vary by market, and that pricing will come before November 2026. Windows Central reports that purchased hours will not expire. We will update this answer when the prices are public.
From November 2026, yes. Microsoft says players will be able to buy cloud playtime hours on the Xbox Store and stream eligible games they own, without a Game Pass subscription. The list of eligible games and the prices will be shared before the change.
No. According to Xbox's Game Pass page in October 2026, cloud gaming is part of Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate, but not of PC Game Pass, which covers games you download and play on a Windows PC.
Xbox Cloud Gaming streams games as they are built for Xbox consoles, so the PC modding ecosystem, such as Nexus Mods or the Steam Workshop, does not apply. On Shadow PC you run the PC version of a game and install mods as on any Windows PC; they stay on your drive between sessions.
Shadow does not offer an app for Xbox consoles. You can open your Shadow PC from Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, an Android TV or Apple TV box, or a Chromium browser at pc.shadow.tech.
It depends on what you want. For more hours on a game list at a low price, GeForce Now's paid plans include 100 hours a month and Boosteroid has no hour limit. For the PC versions of your games, your mods and your apps, Shadow PC is a complete Windows PC with 120 hours a month on Shadow PC Lite and 210 on the Shadow PC range.
Keep comparing
Stop counting the hours
A Windows PC with a dedicated RTX GPU, 120 to 210 hours a month, for the games, the mods and the apps you choose.