Xbox Cloud Gaming Expands to More Countries and Sees Significant Growth Among Game Pass Users
Microsoft has announced a major expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming, confirming that the service has officially launched in India, one of the fastest growing gaming markets in the world with more than 500 million gamers as of 2025. The update was shared through the official Xbox announcement, which highlights both global availability and rapid adoption.
With the addition of India, Xbox Cloud Gaming is now offered in 29 countries. These include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Microsoft also shared that it has recently upgraded server infrastructure in Argentina and Brazil to reduce queue times and improve overall player experience. The improvements were prompted by double digit growth in cloud play time and active users in both regions. Globally, Xbox Cloud Gaming usage is rising as well. According to Microsoft, cloud gaming hours from Xbox Game Pass subscribers have increased by 45 percent compared to the same period last year. Console users are also embracing flexibility, spending 45 percent more time streaming games via cloud on consoles and 24 percent more time doing so on other devices.
The company has continued expanding access points for cloud gaming. In addition to PCs, Xbox consoles, smartphones and tablets, the service is now available through the Xbox app on LG televisions and Amazon Fire TV devices. Virtual Reality headsets such as the Meta Quest also support Xbox Cloud Gaming, and the service is planned to arrive in select car infotainment systems in the near future, although practical usage in vehicles will likely be limited.
One of the few positive outcomes of Microsoft’s recent changes to Xbox Game Pass pricing and tier structure is that Xbox Cloud Gaming access is no longer limited to the Ultimate tier. Several Game Pass plans now include cloud streaming, significantly widening availability. Content variety continues to grow, with hundreds of titles available through Xbox Game Pass and more than one thousand titles in the Stream Your Own Game library. New streaming compatible games are being added regularly.
The primary drawback remains Microsoft’s underlying cloud technology. While performance has improved with features such as 1440p support for select titles, XCloud still falls short of the visual fidelity and streaming responsiveness offered by NVIDIA GeForce NOW, especially on its premium tiers.
A recent rumor also suggests that Xbox Cloud Gaming could eventually be offered for free with advertising support. If true, this would dramatically broaden its reach and position it as a strong alternative for casual streaming players.
Do you think Xbox Cloud Gaming can become the dominant cloud platform or will NVIDIA and Amazon continue to hold the performance lead
