In Technavio’s “Cloud Gaming Market by Application, Device and Geography” forecast report, North America emerged as a key player in 2022, holding the largest market share and contributing an estimated 48% to the market’s growth during the forecast period. Cloud gaming’s surge in popularity in North America is attributed to the presence of numerous companies offering cloud gaming services. Notable among them is Google Stadia, a leading cloud gaming company launched in 2019.
Google Stadia facilitates gameplay across various devices, including laptops, desktops, TVs, and mobile devices, offering a versatile gaming experience. Similarly, xCloud enables users to play Xbox games on mobile devices with streaming support to PCs. NVIDIA GeForce Now, another significant player, allows users to stream PC games to diverse devices.
Factors contributing to the market’s growth include the increasing adoption of secure cloud services and technological advancements such as 5G and artificial intelligence in gaming. These developments are expected to propel the market forward during the forecast period.
Technavio’s market segmentation includes applications such as video streaming and file streaming, devices like gaming consoles, computing devices, smart TVs, and mobile devices, and geography spanning North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.
The video streaming segment is anticipated to grow substantially during the forecast period. Video streaming plays a pivotal role in cloud gaming by enabling gamers to access games over the internet without downloading or installing them. Various approaches to video streaming are employed, including thin client architecture and powerful client device utilization.
The report also points out that challenges persist in the cloud gaming market despite the positive outlook. Infrastructure and bandwidth limitations pose obstacles to market growth. High-quality game streaming requires substantial bandwidth, which can be challenging for users with limited data plans or slow internet connections. Although strides have been made in reducing latency by cloud gaming service providers, infrastructure-related challenges remain significant in certain regions.
Key drivers for the cloud gaming market include the increased availability of high-speed internet, offering higher-quality graphics, and faster response times. Mobile cloud gaming is gaining traction, driven by the convenience of accessing high-quality games on smartphones and tablets. However, infrastructural and bandwidth challenges pose notable impediments to market growth, particularly in regions lacking reliable high-speed internet access.
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