- xCloud will implement a time limit on free users playing Fortnite, as per the leaked code.
- The service is linked to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but free-to-play titles are accessible without it.
- Nvidia also announced a playtime limit earlier before withdrawing it due to backlash.
Many people have floated cloud gaming as the future of video games, and the company leading this charge is none other than Microsoft. The American giant launched xCloud back in 2018 so players could access their favorite games anywhere in the world, and the service reached over 10 million users in 2022.
With Call of Duty also being one of the offerings in this service, the Xbox cloud gaming venture has gradually picked up pace, and some new changes from the company tell us that it wants more people to buy into the idea.
Why it matters: Cloud gaming is meant to be the next frontier of the gaming industry, but problems like playtime limits show us the flaws in its current design.
According to source code discovered by data miners, xCloud may start limiting free users’ access to Fortnite. The Xbox service is linked to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but free-to-play games like Fortnite can be accessed without any cost, allowing players on phones and laptops to play their favorite titles for hours on end.
As a result, the cloud servers do suffer and lead to long queues, meaning this restriction could be a way to help out servers under duress. No info was available about when free xCloud users may face these playtime limits or how much this restriction will be.
But if the leaked code is true, fans won’t be very happy about this new change from the Xbox cloud gaming service. Playtime limits are not new for cloud gaming, however, as Nvidia also implemented a 100-hour restriction per month, which was delayed after severe fan backlash.
Cloud gaming has massive potential, and Xbox is definitely the front-runner right now in this $40 billion market. But, to be the dominant force in this field, the American giant will need to find better solutions to such problems, especially with rival Sony also considering cloud gaming very important from this year on.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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