The Business Research Company has published a new forecast that puts its global cloud gaming for travelers market at $4.1 billion in 2026 and projects it could reach $11.03 billion by 2030. Research and Markets is distributing the 250-page report, which forecasts a 28.1% compound annual growth rate through 2030.
TBRC uses “cloud gaming for travelers” as a broad category covering cloud gaming and related products and services used across travel and mobile contexts. Its device segments include smartphones, tablets, laptops, portable gaming consoles, Smart TVs and in-vehicle displays. The definition also goes well beyond what people pay for services like XBOX Cloud Gaming or GeForce NOW because it includes supporting infrastructure, equipment and network optimization.
That makes the $11.03 billion figure much broader than a consumer cloud gaming spending estimate. But the direction behind the forecast is still relevant to where cloud gaming is heading. TBRC ties future growth to 5G and edge computing, subscription services and cross-device access, all areas connected to the wider game-anywhere shift Cloud Dosage has been following.
The $11.03 Billion Forecast Covers More Than Cloud Gaming Subscriptions
TBRC estimates the market grew from $3.2 billion in 2025 to $4.1 billion in 2026 and reports a 27.8% CAGR. Those figures are easy to misread if the market definition is skipped.
Service revenue includes subscription access, game streaming and cloud-based processing. TBRC also counts related equipment and infrastructure, including controllers, network optimization tools, edge computing infrastructure, streaming devices and cloud gaming servers.
The public definition goes even further by using what TBRC calls “factory gate” values for related goods. In simple terms, that can include the value of products sold by manufacturers to other businesses, not only purchases made by an individual using a cloud gaming service.
That distinction changes how the forecast should be read. The $4.1 billion estimate isn’t a tally of cloud gaming subscriptions bought by people on trips. The $11.03 billion forecast also isn’t a prediction of consumer subscription spending alone.
Growth Forecast Centres on Cross-Device Access
TBRC’s device categories extend well beyond phones and handhelds. It separates smartphones and tablets, laptops and notebooks, portable gaming consoles and a broader group of other devices. That last category includes Smart TVs and in-vehicle displays, so “travelers” doesn’t simply mean someone playing on a phone at an airport or hotel.
TBRC expects 5G and edge computing to support real-time cloud gaming across more locations. It also identifies device-agnostic access and subscription services as growth factors through 2030. TBRC also expects adaptive bandwidth optimization to become more important as connection conditions change during travel.
For cloud gaming, that cross-device approach is already becoming familiar. A game can increasingly follow you between screens instead of access being tied to one console, PC or room.
Microsoft and LG Plan XBOX Cloud Gaming for Connected Vehicles
Microsoft and LG announced the plan in September 2025. The companies said XBOX Cloud Gaming would come to select internet-connected vehicles through LG’s Automotive Content Platform.
At the time of the announcement, Microsoft said Game Pass Ultimate members would be able to stream games from the XBOX app on supported in-vehicle infotainment systems. An automotive data plan would also be required. Connected vehicles won’t prove TBRC’s market forecast on their own, and the public report doesn’t assign them a specific share of the $11.03 billion total. They do show what cross-device cloud gaming can look like once the screen itself changes.
The same access model has already expanded onto Smart TVs, phones, laptops and handheld devices across the wider cloud gaming market. The vehicle example extends that idea into another environment where dedicated gaming devices don’t have to be the centre of the experience.
Public Methodology Explains the Process, Not the Exact Forecast
TBRC publishes general information about how it builds market estimates and forecasts. Its research framework combines secondary research, primary validation and in-house modelling through its Global Market Model.
TBRC says its model combines regression analysis, expert research, historic data, cross-market comparisons and other statistical techniques. It also says forecasts are adjusted for macroeconomic and qualitative factors, including technological changes. That provides useful context for the $11.03 billion figure, but it doesn’t let us independently reproduce this specific forecast. The public listing doesn’t disclose the detailed report-specific calculations or source weights behind that exact number.
So the 2030 figure is best treated as a third-party market forecast, not a measured outcome. Its unusually broad definition also means it shouldn’t be compared directly with narrower estimates of consumer cloud gaming revenue without checking that the categories match.
The forecast’s access assumptions are easier to see in the market than its exact 2030 dollar figure. Cloud gaming already reaches multiple device classes, and the LG/Microsoft vehicle partnership extends that model into another environment. Whether TBRC’s market reaches exactly $11.03 billion by 2030 remains a forecast, but cross-device access is already expanding.
As always, remember to follow us on our social media platforms (e.g., Threads, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, and Facebook) to stay up-to-date with the latest news. This website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on these links and make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. We are an independent site, and the opinions expressed here are our own.
