Microsoft Corp. has officially announced the launch of its cloud gaming service for users in India on November 11, 2025. This new offering allows gamers to stream graphics-intensive games in real-time on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and select TVs. With India now being the 29th market to receive this feature, Xbox continues to expand its presence in the cloud gaming sector, which has been largely successful in other major markets.
To access Xbox’s cloud gaming, subscribers need to enroll in Game Pass, a service akin to Netflix, offering a curated selection of games for a monthly fee ranging from ₹499 to ₹1,389, excluding taxes. Currently, Xbox’s primary competitor in this space is Sony’s PlayStation Plus, which costs up to ₹849 a month but does not yet provide cloud gaming services in India.
Additionally, Indian firms like Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd are also entering the cloud gaming arena through their JioGamesCloud service, recently enhanced by a partnership with the creators of Battlegrounds Mobile India. Other platforms such as OnePlay are also offering cloud gaming options. Nevertheless, Xbox, with its extensive library of new and AAA games from its developers, positions itself as a formidable player within this burgeoning market.
The landscape of cloud gaming in India presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, subscriptions are more economical than purchasing or building high-performance gaming PCs or consoles. On the other hand, the vast dominance of mobile gaming—comprising hundreds of millions of users—poses a significant obstacle for traditional console and PC gaming.
Microsoft appears to recognize these challenges. Arjun Varma, who leads Xbox’s strategic initiatives in India, highlighted the company’s commitment to catering to the local market’s needs. “What gamers in India want, what gives them value… We want to offer them choice and flexibility. They want to play across a range of devices; it’s a mobile-first market,” he remarked. He further noted that the availability of Xbox hardware in India is influenced by market dynamics and has been sparse at authorized retailers recently.
For a smooth cloud gaming experience, data packets must travel quickly, a measure known as latency. A latency of 30 milliseconds or lower is typically regarded as optimal for gaming. While high-speed 5G networks have the potential to reduce latency, current conditions across major telecom providers may hinder achieving such low latency consistently. However, home fiber broadband typically offers a better environment for cloud gaming, with reported latency figures improving for users in various locations.
Varma indicated that Xbox has yet to establish partnerships with local telecom or internet service providers to address latency issues across India. “We are essentially looking at a phased approach in terms of our launch in India,” he stated, expressing a desire to collaborate with local partners to enhance the experience. Past documents have suggested that Xbox had previously explored partnerships with Jio, but concrete plans have yet to materialize.
With these developments, Xbox’s entry into India’s cloud gaming market marks a significant step forward, holding the potential to reshape the gaming landscape and offer local gamers a greater variety of options. As the popularity of cloud gaming continues to grow, Microsoft remains poised to adapt its strategies and offerings to best meet the demands of Indian consumers.