Cloud platforms have become the core of the US$12.9 billion ecosystem driving the modern games industry, according to Omdia.
The thriving sector encompasses crucial technologies such as game servers, backend infrastructure, analytics and LiveOps which arel foundational in enabling real-time and scalable online gaming experiences.
Beyond these services, cloud platforms are rapidly becoming the springboard for AI applications and poised to transform how games are developed and managed.
According to Omdia, the global market for cloud-enabled operational solutions in gaming will soar to US$20.9 billion by 2029. The surge would make up nearly seven percent of the entire games market’s value, with AI adoption emerging as a central growth driver as studios seek greater automation, personalisation and analytics capabilities.
AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Tencent Cloud are the cloud service providers leading the charge in this highly competitive marketplace. Each brings distinct strengths across a wide variety of use cases (see chart at top).
These platforms share the ability to deliver reliable and extensive capabilities to game developers. However, they face growing competition from regional players, especially Alibaba Cloud, which has established itself as a formidable force in Asia.
The report also highlights the rise of hybrid cloud strategies, as more studios incorporate specialised bare-metal hosting providers such as i3D.net and servers.com to balance performance and scalability.
“Support for AI use cases is now becoming a critical factor for buyers. This is something that all of the major cloud platforms have recognised, meaning that games companies already have an excellent range of solutions to choose from,” said Liam Deane, Principal Analyst covering games tech at Omdia.
Image source: Omdia
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