A new PC game catches your eye, but your laptop falls short of the hardware it needs. You could upgrade the computer, buy a console or run the game somewhere else entirely. Cloud gaming takes that third approach – powerful computers in remote data centres run the games and stream the picture and sound to your screen. Your device sends your controls back through the internet, so you can play on hardware that would struggle to run the game itself.
This can spare you an expensive hardware purchase, especially if you already own a laptop, tablet or compatible smart TV. Choosing among the top cloud gaming services requires a little more thought, because they differ in which games you can access, how you pay for them and what happens when you start playing.
First, Find Out Where the Games Come From
Some services include a selection of games with a membership. You sign in, choose an available title and start playing, provided your device and connection are supported. The selection can change, just as it does with film-streaming subscriptions.
Others let you use games associated with accounts at PC game stores such as Steam or the Epic Games Store. These are online shops where people buy digital games and keep them in personal libraries. In this model, the cloud gaming subscription pays for access to the remote computer; you may also need to own the game or have another valid entitlement to it. Each provider supports a particular selection of games, so even an existing purchase needs checking before you subscribe.
If You Want Games Included in a Subscription
Xbox Cloud Gaming – A Library Through Game Pass
Xbox Cloud Gaming is part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass offering. With an eligible plan, you can open the Xbox app or a supported web browser, sign in and play games from the cloud-enabled selection on a compatible computer, phone or television. Games are streamed, so they do not need to be downloaded to your device first.
In the UK, Game Pass Premium costs £10.99 a month and Ultimate costs £16.99. Their included games and cloud streaming privileges differ, with Ultimate offering access to more new releases, higher streaming quality and shorter waits. Certain separately purchased Xbox games can also be streamed where supported.
Anyone planning to play regularly should pay attention to a change arriving soon. Microsoft has announced that, starting in November 2026, the Game Pass cloud allowance will be five hours a month on Essential, ten on Premium and fifteen on Ultimate. Additional hours will be sold separately, with prices and availability varying by market. Until that change takes effect, eligible subscribers can stream without those monthly allowances. A plan that seems suitable for occasional gaming may therefore cost more if the cloud becomes your main way of playing.
Amazon Luna – A Starting Point for Prime Members
Amazon Luna offers another route into cloud gaming for households already paying for Prime. In the UK, Amazon Prime costs £8.99 a month or £95 a year, and Luna Standard is included. Prime members can sign in to Luna and play from a rotating selection of cloud games on supported devices. For an expanded catalogue, Luna Premium costs a further £8.99 a month.
Amazon has also made some Luna games accessible through the Prime Video app on compatible Fire TV devices. Someone using a Fire TV for films or television programmes can therefore discover eligible games in the same app. Regular games may require a compatible controller, but Luna’s GameNight collection includes party games where players join with their phones as controllers. This makes it possible to try a multiplayer game with family or friends without equipping everyone with a gamepad.
The included selection determines how far a Prime membership will take you. Checking it first is more informative than assuming the Premium upgrade will contain a particular game.
If You Want to Play Games From PC Stores
NVIDIA GeForce NOW – Bringing an Existing Library Online
GeForce NOW is designed in large part for people who own compatible PC games. After creating an NVIDIA account, you can connect supported game-store accounts and see which titles are available to stream. The game runs on NVIDIA’s servers, with access tied to the relevant store licence or subscription. Some free-to-play titles are available as well.
Its free membership provides a way to test the service, although queues, advertising before play and one-hour sessions apply. Paid Performance and Ultimate memberships cost around £9.99 and £19.99 a month in the UK. They provide quicker access and more capable remote hardware, with Ultimate supporting higher streaming resolutions and frame rates on compatible devices.
Both paid tiers include 100 hours of premium playtime each month, and up to 15 unused hours can carry into the next month. Players can purchase more premium time or continue with free-tier features after reaching the allowance. Paid members also get Install-to-Play, which lets them install additional eligible Steam titles on the remote system. That expands the available selection, although publisher permission and game compatibility still matter.
Boosteroid – Independent Access to Supported PC Games
Boosteroid follows a related approach – choose a supported PC title in its library, launch it through the cloud and sign in to the relevant game-store account when prompted. It works through supported browsers, apps and smart TVs, giving players access to demanding PC games without running them locally. As with GeForce NOW, any separate game purchase needs to be accounted for.
Its Ultra subscription costs €16.89 for one month or €89.89 for twelve months, approximately €7.49 a month when paid annually. Ultra Pro costs €74.89 for six months or €134.89 for a year, adding features such as manual server-location selection and longer reconnection windows. Both tiers advertise streaming at up to 4K and 120 frames per second where the game, device and connection permit, and both include unlimited monthly gaming time. Inactivity rules and other session conditions still apply.
Boosteroid is among the world’s largest independent cloud gaming providers, competing with services run by Microsoft, Amazon and NVIDIA while operating outside those technology groups. Its network spans 29 data-centre locations across Europe and the Americas, serving more than eight million users according to the company. This gives Boosteroid the geographical reach to serve a large international audience, while its advertised 4K and 120 FPS capabilities place it in competition with major providers on high-end streaming specifications. Actual performance still depends on the player’s location, connection and game, so infrastructure size and advertised capabilities alone cannot establish which service will deliver the best experience.
For a UK reader, Boosteroid’s euro-denominated prices also deserve a check at payment, as the amount charged in pounds may depend on the exchange rate and card provider. The annual Ultra price is an upfront payment and should be compared with other annual costs rather than a single month’s subscription.
What Playing Through the Cloud Feels Like
Launching a cloud game may be as simple as selecting Play, but the connection between your device and the remote computer determines how responsive it feels. Every button press travels to a data centre, and the resulting picture travels back. A delay on that round trip, called latency, can make a game feel sluggish even when the picture looks sharp.
A steady connection matters alongside download speed. Amazon recommends at least 10 Mbps for Luna, for example, while higher-resolution streaming on other services can require considerably more bandwidth. A wired connection or reliable home Wi-Fi is generally preferable to an unstable mobile signal, and streamed games can use a substantial amount of data.
The device also affects what you can play comfortably. A smart TV may support the service but require a separate controller; on a phone, some games offer touchscreen controls while others need a controller connected. Likewise, an advertised 4K or high-frame-rate option describes what the service can deliver under suitable conditions, with the game, screen, subscription and network all affecting the result.
Which Service Should You Start With?
Begin with one or two games you genuinely want to play and search for them in the providers’ current libraries. If you want to explore games included in a membership, Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna provide two routes: Xbox offers a dedicated gaming subscription with a broad catalogue, while Luna Standard gives existing Prime members an opportunity to start with what they already pay for. Compare their game selections before choosing either.
If you own PC games, check those titles on GeForce NOW and Boosteroid. GeForce NOW’s free tier can help you find out how cloud streaming works on your connection; its paid plans have a 100-hour premium allowance. Boosteroid’s unlimited monthly gaming time may matter more if you expect frequent long sessions, provided it supports the games you want. Pay attention to the payment period and actual amount due, especially when comparing pounds with euros.
Once you know a service has the games you want, confirm that it supports your device and controller. Starting with a free tier or a shorter subscription where possible gives you a chance to assess picture quality and responsiveness before committing for a year. The best starting point is the service that gets a particular game running well on equipment you already have, at a cost and usage level you can live with.