Xbox Cloud Gaming up 45 per cent from 2024, Microsoft says
Microsoft has Xbox Cloud Gaming usage is up 45 per cent year over year, driven by global expansion, cheaper access tiers, and rising console and mobile streaming.
Xbox Cloud Gaming usage has jumped 45 per cent year over year, Microsoft has said.
The company reported the masssive surge in cloud-streamed playtime among Game Pass subscribers, a sharp jump that reflects both the service’s global expansion and its new, more flexible pricing structure.
It’s a significant milestone for a platform that only shed its “beta” label this summer.
Microsoft has said console players are also leaning heavily into the cloud, spending 45 per cent more time streaming games from their Xbox hardware, while usage on phones, tablets, PCs and smart TVs climbed 24 per cent.
The company points to recent rollouts in India - now the world’s fastest-growing gaming market with more than 500 million players - as well as Argentina and Brazil, where Xbox Cloud Gaming is posting “double-digit growth” in both active players and time spent.
The broader strategy is clear: reach players anywhere, on anything.
Cloud gaming now runs on consoles, PCs, mobile devices, LG and Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire TV sticks, VR headsets, and soon even in cars.
To support that surge, Microsoft has quietly boosted regional server capacity to reduce wait times.
The recent price hike of Xbox Game Pass has likely pushed cloud streaming beyond the pricey Ultimate tier, making access cheaper for cloud-first players even as Ultimate itself jumped 50 per cent in price.
The expanded access - paired with new 4K/120fps server blades - appears to have meaningfully lifted engagement.
Microsoft is also preparing an ad-supported free cloud tier for 2026, a move likely to expand reach even further.
