2025 is over. It is time to put out our predictions of what 2026 will bring for cloud gaming. A year ago, we put out a list of predictions of what the year would hold for Cloud Gaming. And we got a lot right!
- RTX 5080s hit GeForce NOW
- Xcloud brought hundreds more “Stream Your Own” games
- Xcloud improved its streaming quality
- PlayStation brought “Stream Your Own” games to the PS Portal
- At least one service died (Utomik)
- Xcloud came to LG TVs
We also got some things wrong!
- Despite testing it in Beta back in late 2024, Ubisoft did not end up launching its own first party cloud gaming service in 2025
- Cloud Gaming did not play a big role in the Nintendo Switch 2025
In addition, other big things happened in cloud gaming we didn’t see coming! Xcloud launched in India (with GeForce NOW coming soon!), Amazon Luna completely revamped its service and Blacknut brought full Ubisoft+ support.
What does 2026 hold for cloud gaming? Here are the predictions from our editors.
Predictions from Jack
- NVIDIA GeForce NOW will launch in India. This is cheating because we know it is coming (it’s already late!), but it is still a big deal! This will be the second big service after Xbox Cloud Gaming to launch in a country with over 1 billion people.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming will arrive on at least one more Smart TV OS. With the service already on LG WebOS, Samsung’s Tizen and Amazon’s Fire TV, next up could be Xumo, Android/Google TV, Vizio and Roku are all possible.
- PlayStation Cloud Gaming will launch on Sony Smart TVs. I’d love to see them roll-out their Cloud Gaming service further, but, for now, the company seems to be focused on their own hardware.
- One of the top cloud gaming services will pass 216 million hours of streaming in a quarter – which would translate to over 100,000 players streaming on average all the time! In late 2025, Xcloud and possibly GeForce NOW are getting close to this marker.
Predictions from Jon
- The living room remains one of the most active testing grounds for cloud gaming. Netflix, Amazon Luna, GameLoop, and PHȲND will go all in and focus on fast, social games that make sense on a TV with other people in the room, rather than long, traditional console experiences.
- Blacknut will keep expanding globally through partnerships rather than direct sign-ups. More players will encounter Blacknut in emerging markets through smart TVs, telecom bundles, and family plans, while the service continues adding games through publisher partnerships instead of chasing headline exclusives.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming will take a real step toward true Quick Resume across console and cloud. Being able to suspend a game on console and instantly pick it up in the cloud (and back again) fits Microsoft’s push to treat cloud play as a normal part of the Xbox experience, especially for owned games.
- Ad-supported cloud gaming options will start showing up more often. Blacknut’s ZAP! is an early example of how zero-cost, no-account cloud gaming can work on Smart TVs, and others like Xbox Cloud Gaming will test similar ideas in limited ways.
- Netflix will keep reshaping its gaming strategy around TV-first experiences rather than traditional game publishing. With Ready Player Me folded in and Warner Bros. Games pending, Netflix is likely to spend 2026 experimenting with how games surface on TVs, how players identify themselves across experiences, and how familiar IP fits into shared-screen play.
- PlayStation Cloud Gaming will continue expanding to more regions and new devices like TVs and mobile, but without becoming a core pillar of the PlayStation platform. Streaming stays tied closely to PlayStation Plus and is used mainly for convenience, short play, and sampling games, rather than replacing traditional console play.
- Amazon’s biggest cloud gaming win won’t be Luna. It’ll be white-label streaming. GameLift Streams points toward a future where publishers run their own cloud demos, trials, and even full streaming channels on AWS, using Proton as part of the stack. Amazon Luna remains the public-facing showcase, but more cloud gaming experiences will launch outside Luna through Amazon GameLift Streams, especially on TVs and partner platforms.
- There will be plenty of moaning online about usage limits like GeForce NOW’s 100-hour monthly cap, but the model will prove moderately successful. Most players won’t hit the limit, and it gives services a clearer way to manage costs without raising prices across the board. By the end of 2026, at least one other major cloud gaming service will adopt a similar time-based approach.
Predictions from Adrià
- It is a bit of a sad vision, but the “hardware crisis” is likely going to make local gaming too expensive for most people. With AI companies scooping up all the high-end chips and RAM, building a decent gaming PC will feel like a luxury. By 2026, most of us will probably stop worrying about specs entirely. We will just pay for a subscription that gives us a virtual high-end rig, making the cloud the only realistic way to play the latest big releases.
- We are going to see a major service like Xbox Cloud or GFN integrate AI directly into the experience. Something like Copilot inside your game stream, watching what you do and giving you tips or finding secrets in real time because it can see your screen. We might even stream AI-generated games where the levels and quests are built on the fly by the cloud.
- Just like Google with Stadia back in 2019, an unexpected player like Apple, Disney or Meta is about to enter the gaming market with cloud gaming. With the way app stores are opening up, these companies can finally put high-end games directly into the apps we already use every day. You might be watching a Marvel movie on Disney+ and see a button to instantly play a tie-in game right there. Let’s just hope it doesn’t end the same way Stadia did…
Predictions From Lee
- I think 2026 will see Xbox continue to push Xbox Cloud Gaming. I think it is safe to say that 2025 was a very positive year for Xbox Cloud Gaming. There was real growth in the percentage of people playing Xbox games via the cloud, and it is an area that Xbox is actively focusing on. I think this will continue throughout 2026.
- I still believe we will see some dedicated cloud gaming hardware from Xbox. Whether that is a device along the same lines as the PlayStation Portal or perhaps a small dedicated streaming device for the living room, I think it will happen and possibly be revealed in 2026.
- Whilst on the subject of Xbox Cloud Gaming, I think we will see a new free tier released that will be ad-based. It will most likely have a time limit of some form as well. It will also be restricted in terms of resolution, etc.
- One of my 2025 cloud gaming predictions was that Ubisoft would launch its own cloud gaming service, which they had been testing previously. I think 2026 will see them scale back those plans completely. Financially, I am not sure running their own cloud gaming service is currently viable for Ubisoft, and to be honest, they don’t really need it thanks to partnerships with services such as GeForce NOW and Blacknut.
- Blacknut will start to get Activision Blizzard titles. Since the regulators voiced their cloud gaming concerns in regards to Microsofts aquisiton of ABK, Microsoft was quick to announce cloud gaming deals with several cloud gaming services. These included GeForce NOW and Boosteroid. However, one service that didn’t get a deal is Blacknut. I think this will change in 2026, but only for ABK titles, this being thanks to their close relationship with Ubisoft, which controls the cloud gaming rights for those games.
- A couple of years ago, I really thought that Netflix was poised to be the next big player in video games. They were taking things slow, not rushing in headfirst, and I really thought it would be a sound strategy. Now I am starting to think that Netflix may actually do a big scaleback on their gaming efforts, including their cloud gaming plans. Recently, we have seen them close and sell off their first-party studios, along with some high-profile members of staff departing. I think 2026 may see Netflix leave gaming as quietly as they entered it.
- You read it here: 2026 is going to be massive for Nintendo. I know, 2025 was a massive year for them due to the Switch 2 launch, but I think that 2026 will be even better. We are starting to see more Switch 2 versions of games launch and get announced, and I think that will really ramp up in 2026. I also think we will start seeing some big titles from Xbox Game Studios come to the Switch 2, including Call of Duty. In my opinion, 2026 will be a very strong year for Nintendo.
Predictions From Simon
- Xbox will release a free tier of Game Pass which allows ad-supported cloud gaming as well as online play. The former will likely see a short ad every hour, maybe? as well as reduced resolution etc. This brings the cloud to more people. The latter to specifically compete with the Steam Machine as that doesn’t charge for online play.
- Copilot for gaming will be released on the Ultimate tier of Game Pass and will function like what Google Assistant was touted to do on Stadia. I.E activate Copilot and ask it how to get a specific achievement or item, or even how to get past a particularly hard boss. Whether it links to YouTube videos or just reads out text from guides found online, I don’t know.
- Other cloud gaming providers will launch a “party” mode in their cloud catalog specifically for games that use your mobile as a controller like Luna has done. I think it will either be free or its own cheaper sub catered for the holidays and getting people to play as a big group.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming will achieve total parity with hardware via Universal Quick Resume. Whether you’re moving from the Series X to a handheld or a browser, your game state will follow you instantly.
- Ubisoft will announce they are not pursuing their own cloud streaming service and instead release more of the ABK games to the cloud via partnerships with Blacknut, GeForce NOW and Xbox. Possibly adding Blacknut and Amazon Luna to the mix as well.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 will return, and GTA VI will be added to the cloud via Xbox’s “Stream Your Own Games” service.
Happy New Year all! 2026 is going to be another fun ride for all us cloud gamers.
