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Xbox Brings Cloud Gaming to TCL TVs, but Slashes the Time You Can Actually Play to a Paltry 15 Hours
Wccftech • • technology
Key Points:
- Microsoft announced that the Xbox app will soon be available on TCL Smart TVs, expanding cloud gaming access beyond Samsung and LG TVs, aiming to reach gamers without dedicated consoles.
- Starting November, Xbox Cloud Gaming will impose strict monthly usage limits across all Game Pass tiers: 15 hours for Ultimate, 10 hours for Premium, and 5 hours for Essential, a significant reduction from the previous unlimited access.
- Microsoft claims only 4% of users will be impacted by these new limits, but critics argue even the highest tier's cap is insufficient for regular gaming, especially compared to competitors like NVIDIA's GeForce NOW service.
- The changes are part of Xbox division CEO Asha Sharma's efforts to return the division to profitability, citing losses incurred from extensive cloud gaming usage and high AI-related compute costs.
- Despite growing industry optimism about cloud gaming's future amid rising hardware costs, Microsoft's recent moves suggest it is scaling back its cloud gaming ambitions, potentially ceding ground to more aggressive competitors.
