Rising hardware costs, publisher incentives, and platform strategy shifts all point to 2026 becoming the year cloud gaming takes over — whether players want it or not

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Being a PC gamer has been challenging lately. First, the pandemic and related chip shortages made it hard to find parts. Then, cryptocurrency miners bought up all the graphics cards. Now, the growing demand for artificial intelligence is creating another shortage – this time for RAM.

The price of RAM is increasing dramatically, and since it’s essential for any computer, that’s a problem. However, it’s currently too expensive to purchase.

As an analyst, I’ve been advocating for cloud gaming for a while now, and I believe it’s becoming increasingly essential. For a lot of players, it may not be their first choice, but it’s a viable solution when building or affording a dedicated gaming PC isn’t feasible. Essentially, cloud gaming allows us to leverage someone else’s hardware to enjoy the games we want.

Cloud gaming doesn’t require a powerful PC. Or a PC at all.

As a researcher studying cloud gaming, one of the most significant advantages I’ve found is its accessibility. You don’t need a powerful, expensive gaming PC – in fact, you don’t even *need* a PC at all to play. That’s because all the processing happens remotely.

It’s likely that RAM prices will soon reflect the current state of the entire PC market. If these prices don’t stabilize, we could see price increases for laptops, handheld devices, pre-built computers, and even consoles and smartphones.

Cloud gaming eliminates the need to constantly upgrade your devices. You can play games on the equipment you already have – your phone, smart TV, or computer – as long as you have an internet connection and a web browser.

The cloud can sometimes even improve your setup. For example, NVIDIA’s GeForce Now service offers graphics power comparable to a high-end RTX 5080 card – letting you use that level of performance without needing to buy the hardware yourself.

As a big fan of Xbox Game Pass, I’ve been really impressed with how much they’ve improved their cloud gaming lately. If you’re on the Ultimate plan like me, you can now stream games in surprisingly good quality – they’ve added options for 720p, 1080p, and even a ‘max quality’ setting at 1440p. It’s a game changer for playing on different devices!

My coworker, Jez Corden, recently tested Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming at 1440p resolution, and the findings are impressive, though the launch seems very planned.

I’ve noticed Xbox Cloud Gaming mostly focuses on people who already pay for Game Pass, but they’re starting to offer more options where you can stream games you already own. NVIDIA GeForce Now is different – it *only* lets you stream games you’ve purchased elsewhere, on platforms they support. Basically, you buy the game, and then stream it to your device.

The RAM crisis is going to make 2026 miserable

The current shortage of RAM is especially difficult because so many devices rely on it. From smartphones and tablets to laptops, desktop computers, and even small devices like Raspberry Pis and network storage drives, anything that processes information needs RAM to function.

As a researcher, I’ve found this issue extends far beyond just PC gamers looking to build or upgrade their computers. The implications are actually quite broad – it’s going to impact pretty much everything.

It’s still unclear exactly how severe the impact will be, but rising DDR5 RAM prices are already a major concern. PC builder Maingear is now suggesting customers supply their own RAM for new systems as a way to help reduce costs.

Framework, the company known for its customizable and modular laptops, has already adjusted its prices several times due to the rising cost of RAM. While they’re managing to keep prices more stable than Apple, this increasing cost of components will soon impact all hardware manufacturers.

Keeping your existing hardware and using the cloud looks like making the most sense

2026 could be a tough year for people looking to buy a new computer, particularly for gaming. Prices for computer parts are already high, and they might increase even more, which isn’t good news for anyone.

It seems like sticking with our current devices is the most practical option. Luckily, cloud gaming has improved a lot recently, offering a viable alternative for many people.

I’ve been a cloud gaming enthusiast for a long time, so I was really disappointed when Google Stadia was discontinued. Even then, it offered a surprisingly good gaming experience, on par with what you’d get on a traditional console.

Currently, NVIDIA and Microsoft are leading the way in cloud gaming. Both platforms let you stream games from Game Pass or those you purchase. Even with NVIDIA’s upcoming monthly usage limit, it still offers a cloud gaming experience that outperforms most home gaming PCs.

Honestly, I think it’s definitely worth checking out. The cool thing is, you can actually try both of them right now without needing to subscribe to the most expensive plans. It’s a great way to get a feel for what they offer before you decide if they’re right for you.

This isn’t a perfect solution for everyone, and a decent internet connection is still important for it to work well. However, considering how expensive other options are, we may not have many alternatives in the next year.

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2025-12-30 22:10