At GDC 2025, Microsoft shared a surprising insight about Xbox Cloud Gaming: people aren’t just playing quick mobile-friendly titles. According to Xbox, the top games streamed through the cloud are the same ones dominating console and PC—including fast-paced shooters like Call of Duty.
This cuts against the common belief that people using phones or browsers mainly stick to simpler genres. Instead, cloud gaming is being used to play full-scale competitive games. That includes phones, smart TVs, desktops, and even older Xbox hardware.
It’s a clear sign of how far Xbox Cloud Gaming has come. And, how stable the experience has become on different screens. In a recent article, we looked at how usage is split across devices. Now, we’re digging into what people are actually playing, and what that says about the future of cloud gaming.
This article is part of our GDC 2025 Xbox Cloud Gaming series. Be sure to check out the full set covering usage trends, top streamed games, latency upgrades, input support, and UI scaling across devices.
What the Data Shows
During the presentation, Microsoft revealed that the most popular games streamed on Xbox Cloud Gaming closely mirror the top games on console and PC. This includes competitive genres like shooters, racing games, and action RPGs—not just puzzle games or touch-friendly indie titles.
For shooters, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was used as a key example. Microsoft shared that it ran smoothly in the cloud without any changes from the developer. It performed well on both gamepad and mouse-and-keyboard setups. For RPGs, they pointed to Avowed, which was streamed across multiple devices. That included handhelds and smart TVs, with seamless save syncing.
Even racing games are part of the mix. Forza Horizon 5 was featured in the smart TV demo as a full cloud-streaming experience. And for lighter indie-style games, Brotato came up as a recent favourite. It was played across console, smart TV, browser, and mobile—with DLC available everywhere.
While RPGs might see a small boost on mobile and sports titles on TVs, the overall trend is clear. Gamers are streaming the same hits across every device.
Why It Matters
“Cloud gaming has often been seen as a convenience feature. It’s something you use when you’re away from your console or PC. But the fact that people are playing the same big-budget titles across every type of screen suggests it’s becoming a primary way to play, not just a backup.
That includes genres many assumed wouldn’t work well in the cloud, like shooters. Xbox’s example of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows that cloud performance has improved to the point where competitive multiplayer feels viable, even without special optimization.
It also hints at where Xbox Cloud Gaming may be headed next. And, what kinds of games are defining its growth. Gamers are no longer seeing cloud gaming as limited or watered-down. Instead, they’re picking up right where they left off, jumping between living room TVs, laptops, handhelds, or mobile browsers—without having to think about whether a game will run well.
It’s also a win for developers. If the top games on console are also thriving in the cloud, that means they can reach more players without creating platform-specific builds or redesigning their experience around touch-only input.
Cloud Gaming Is More Than Just a Backup Plan
Microsoft’s GDC presentation made one thing clear: cloud gaming isn’t just about convenience anymore. The same major titles topping Xbox’s charts are now being streamed on phones, TVs, and browsers—with no special treatment required.
Whether it’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Avowed, Forza Horizon 5, or Brotato, gamers are choosing to stream full-featured experiences across devices. That says a lot about how far the tech has come—and how much confidence users now have in the service.
If you missed it, we recently covered how Xbox Cloud Gaming usage is split across devices. Xbox One consoles led the charge, but the full breakdown shows just how flexible the platform has become. Read that article here.
As cloud gaming continues to grow, it’s worth watching how genre expectations shift—and how Xbox keeps removing friction between hardware and access. Are you streaming the same games you play on console? Or is cloud gaming still something you use only when needed?
Continue reading our GDC 2025 Xbox Cloud Gaming series:
- How Xbox Cloud Gaming Usage Is Split Across Devices
- The Top Games Being Streamed on Xbox Cloud Gaming
- How Xbox Is Quietly Fixing Xbox Cloud Gaming Latency
- How Xbox Is Making Xbox Cloud Gaming More Playable on Every Device
- How Xbox Is Helping Developers Adapt UI and Resolution for Cloud Gaming
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