Phil Spencer says Xbox’s Game Pass cloud hours are up 45% YoY, making gaming “more accessible than ever”

Xbox Game Pass cloud hours “are up,” according to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer.

In a brief statement posted to LinkedIn, CEO of Gaming at Microsoft, Spencer said the firm was “building a future where gaming is more accessible than ever.”

“One way we measure progress is by looking at engagement, and the momentum is encouraging: Game Pass cloud hours are up 45% compared to this time last year, and console players are streaming 45% more on console and 24% more on other devices,” Spencer wrote.

“Progress is also about more choice for players – play what you want, where you want – and that’s what drives us forward. Thanks to Team Xbox, our partners, and our players for helping make this vision real.”

Spencer appended a separate LinkedIn post from Xbox, which claimed “big things are happening with Xbox Cloud Gaming,” which is now available in India, expanded in Argentina and Brazil, and offers “more ways to play on more devices than ever.”

Microsoft raised the price of its subscription service Xbox Game Pass back in October, with its most expensive tier, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, increasing from $19.99/£14.99 to $29.99/£22.99 per month.

Microsoft said the increase come as a result of it expanding its offering, with Fortnite Crew (valued at $11.99/month) and Ubisoft+ Classics (valued at $7.99/month) added to its Ultimate library, as well as enhanced Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality and access to over 75 day one releases a year, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.