2024 has now come to an end. So, it is time to get out our predictions of what 2025 will hold for cloud gaming. A year ago, we put out a list of predictions of what the year would hold for Cloud Gaming. We got a lot right!
- Owned Games Came to Xcloud
- PlayStation Portal Got Cloud Gaming
- Xcloud Came to Fire TV
- Ubisoft Began Testing its own Cloud Gaming Service
- Amazon Luna Kept Expanding
We also got some things wrong!
- Unfortunately, Netflix Cloud Gaming didn’t really go anywhere this year…
- Neither did any official cloud gaming service from Nintendo.
2024 turned out to be a banner year for cloud gaming in general. While 2023 saw a major step backward with the closure of Google Stadia, the ship seemed to be righting itself in 2024. GeForce NOW pushed the industry forward in terms of fidelity (RTX 4080s in the cloud!) and Xbox began making good on Stadia’s original vision of a console in the cloud.
What does 2025 hold for cloud gaming? Here are the predictions from our editors.
Predictions from Jack
- Cloud gaming on the PlayStation Portal will leave beta and all PlayStation Cloud games (including ownable games outside of PS Plus) will be available to play on the device via the cloud.
- NVIDIA will upgrade the GeForce NOW ultimate tier to include RTX 5080 GPUs by the end of the year. News could come as soon as Jensen’s keynote on January 6.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming will add hundreds more ownable Xbox games to play on a steady basis throughout the year.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming will come to LG Smart TVs and possibly Android TV devices like Chromecast and Shield TV.
- Ubisoft will officially launch its own cloud gaming service (out of testing) – possibly around the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage – and will bring Activision/Blizzard games to the cloud (and only the cloud) via Ubisoft+.
- Cloud Gaming will be included in the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 as an officially supported game mode.
- We will see further consolidation. At least one cloud gaming service will close during the year. And, we also see further innovation as upstart cloud gaming service Highscore goes live.
Predictions from Adrià
- Due to improvements in internet infrastructure and accessibility, more gamers will embrace cloud gaming due to improved internet. Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and PlayStation Plus will see significant growth.
- Major AAA games will launch with cloud gaming support from day one, ensuring accessibility on low-end devices and expanding their reach. Expect to see Grand Theft Auto VI and many more make it way to the cloud.
- More companies, like Apple, could expand their presence in the cloud gaming space, introducing competitive services or acquisitions to bolster their offerings.
Predictions From Lee
- We know that GeForce NOW are getting set to unveil their RTX 50 Series. I think GeForce NOW will once again roll out an upgrade to this new series of graphics cards.
- I think we will see Nintendo Switch 2 unveiled early in 2025 with the console launching in the Spring.
- Xbox will further expand Xbox Cloud Gaming to new devices. On top of this, we will also see improvements made in terms of streaming performance.
- PlayStation Cloud Gaming will expand again to more devices. They will also make big improvements to Cloud Gaming on the PS Portal.
- Xbox will rip off the bandaid for Xbox Game Studios titles coming to PlayStation. This approach will not only become normal, but will also be viewed as the correct move to make.
- Ubisoft will launch their long awaited cloud gaming service and introduce a new cloud gaming tier to Ubisoft+.
- SEGA will introduce their own gaming subscription service, similar to Ubisoft+.
- Xbox will unveil new console hardware before the end of 2025.
One Final Prediction From Renier
I predict that NVIDIA’s recent $700 million acquisition of the Israeli AI firm Run:ai will have a major impact on cloud gaming next year. Run:ai’s technology, designed to optimize AI workloads, will likely lead to more efficient use of computing power, resulting in smoother and more responsive gaming. With AI playing a bigger role in performance and personalization, cloud gaming platforms could offer more dynamic, tailored experiences for players, making the future of gaming feel even more immersive and seamless.
Happy New Year all! 2025 is going to be a fun ride for us cloud gamers.
For a personal editor predictions kind of article it’s a bit puzzling to me that large portions of it are AI generated. Makes it a bit meaningles in my opinion.
Thanks for the comment! I edited this piece, however, and not a single line was AI generated…