-
All Games That Won an Award At The Game Awards 2025
Each year, the video game industry gathers to recognize the titles, studios, and creators that shaped the medium over the past twelve months. The Game Awards 2025 was no exception. This year’s ceremony highlighted not just blockbuster releases, but also the growing influence of independent studios, narrative-driven experiences, and long-term live-service games that continue to evolve years after launch.
From technical achievements in audio and accessibility to creative excellence in storytelling, art direction, and performance, the awards provided a clear snapshot of where the industry is heading. One title, in particular, dominated the conversation, while several others secured key wins that underscored their impact across different genres and platforms.
What are The Game Awards?
The Game Awards is an annual event that celebrates excellence in video game development and publishing. Launched in 2014, it serves two primary purposes: recognizing the best games and creators of the year, and providing a global stage for major announcements, trailers, and industry updates.
Winners are selected through a combination of votes from an international jury of media outlets and public fan voting, depending on the category. This hybrid approach allows the awards to balance critical evaluation with community sentiment, making the results a useful barometer of both industry recognition and player impact.
The Game Awards 2025 Categories
For 2025, awards were presented across a wide range of competitive categories, reflecting the diversity of modern gaming:
* Game of the Year
* Best Game Direction
* Best Narrative
* Best Art Direction
* Best Score and Music
* Best Audio Design
* Best Performance
* Best Action Game
* Best Action Adventure Game
* Best RPG
* Best Fighting Game
* Best Sim / Strategy Game
* Best Sports / Racing Game
* Best Multiplayer
* Best Ongoing Game
* Best Independent Game
* Best Debut Indie Game
* Best Mobile Game
* Best VR / AR Game
* Innovation in Accessibility
* Games for Impact
* Best Community Support
* Best Adaptation
* Most Anticipated Game
* Player’s Voice
All games that won an Award at The Game Awards 2025
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (9 Awards)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the clear standout of The Game Awards 2025, earning more honors than any other title and firmly establishing itself as the defining game of the year. Developed by Sandfall Interactive, the game blends turn-based RPG combat with real-time mechanics, striking art direction, and a tightly written narrative that explores themes of mortality, memory, and inevitability. Its visual identity, influenced by European surrealism and Belle Époque aesthetics, helped it stand apart from more conventional role-playing releases.
Beyond its mechanics and presentation, the game was widely praised for how cohesively its systems supported its story. Strong character performances and a memorable original score reinforced its emotional tone, while confident direction kept the experience focused and deliberate. The breadth of its wins also underscored a broader industry shift, with an independent studio successfully competing across top-tier categories traditionally dominated by large publishers.
Awards won:
* Game of the Year
* Best Game Direction
* Best Narrative
* Best RPG
* Best Independent Game
* Best Debut Indie Game
* Best Art Direction
* Best Score and Music (Lorien Testard)
* Best Performance – Jennifer English
2. Counter-Strike 2 (2 Awards)
Counter-Strike 2 continued its long-standing dominance in competitive gaming by securing multiple esports-focused awards at The Game Awards 2025. As Valve’s modernized evolution of CS:GO, the game builds on a legacy that spans more than two decades, refining its core tactical shooter formula while introducing technical upgrades such as improved visuals, tick-rate-free networking, and enhanced smoke physics.
The game’s wins reflect not just its mechanical depth, but also its position as the backbone of the global esports ecosystem. Its competitive integrity, consistency, and spectator appeal remain unmatched, supporting a professional scene that rewards both individual excellence and team coordination at the highest level.
Awards won:
* Best Esports Game
* Best Esports Team – Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong (1 Award)
Hollow Knight: Silksong secured a major genre win at The Game Awards 2025, reinforcing its position as one of the most anticipated and discussed releases of the year. Developed by Team Cherry, the game expands on the foundations of Hollow Knight while introducing faster, more aggressive combat, a stronger emphasis on mobility, and a new protagonist in Hornet. The result is a tighter, more demanding experience that rewards precision and mastery.
Its award recognition highlights how well the game balances mechanical challenge with world design and atmosphere. From intricate platforming sequences to hand-drawn environments and a distinctive musical score, Silksong demonstrates how refinement rather than reinvention can elevate a sequel into a genre leader.
Awards won:
* Best Action Adventure Game
4. Hades II (1 Award)
Hades II claimed the award for Best Action Game, continuing Supergiant Games’ reputation for tightly designed combat and strong narrative integration. As a follow-up to the original Hades, the sequel builds on the fast-paced, isometric action formula while introducing a new protagonist, expanded ability systems, and more complex enemy encounters. Combat remains the centerpiece, emphasizing responsiveness, build variety, and moment-to-moment decision-making.
The win reflects how well Hades II balances mechanical intensity with accessibility. Despite its difficulty, the game remains approachable through clear visual feedback and flexible progression systems, making it appealing to both returning players and newcomers to the genre.
Awards won:
* Best Action Game
5. Arc Raiders (1 Award)
Arc Raiders earned recognition for Best Multiplayer, reflecting how successfully it translated high-stakes cooperative and competitive play into a polished extraction shooter experience. Developed by Embark Studios, the game blends PvE and PvP elements in a shared world where players must balance looting, survival, and confrontation with both AI-controlled ARC machines and rival squads.
What set Arc Raiders apart was its emphasis on tension and decision-making rather than constant combat. Matches reward smart positioning, coordination, and knowing when to disengage, which helped the game build a dedicated multiplayer community. Its win highlights the continued evolution of the multiplayer space beyond traditional arena shooters.
Awards won:
* Best Multiplayer
6. Battlefield 6 (1 Award)
Battlefield 6 was recognized for Best Audio Design, an award that reflects the franchise’s long-standing focus on large-scale immersion. The game delivers a dense and reactive soundscape, from distant artillery and collapsing structures to the distinct report of weapons echoing across massive maps. Audio plays a functional role as well, helping players read the battlefield and react to threats beyond their immediate line of sight.
This win underscored how technical execution can meaningfully shape gameplay. In a genre where situational awareness is critical, Battlefield 6 used sound design not just for spectacle, but as a core part of the player experience.
Awards won:
* Best Audio Design
7. No Man’s Sky (1 Award)
Nearly a decade after its original release, No Man’s Sky won Best Ongoing Game, highlighting one of the most notable long-term turnarounds in modern gaming. Through years of free updates, Hello Games has continuously expanded the title with new systems, narrative content, multiplayer features, and quality-of-life improvements.
The award recognizes sustained development rather than a single release window. No Man’s Sky has become a reference point for how long-term support and community engagement can fundamentally reshape a game’s reputation and value over time.
Awards won:
* Best Ongoing Game
8. Baldur’s Gate 3 (1 Award)
Baldur’s Gate 3 received the award for Best Community Support, reflecting Larian Studios’ continued engagement with its player base well after launch. Ongoing patches, feature updates, mod support, and direct communication with the community helped maintain strong player trust and long-term interest.
Although its major award sweep occurred in previous years, this recognition highlights the importance of post-launch stewardship. Baldur’s Gate 3 remains an example of how responsiveness and transparency can extend a game’s lifecycle and cultural relevance.
Awards won:
* Best Community Support
9. Donkey Kong Bananza (1 Award)
Donkey Kong Bananza took home Best Family Game, recognizing its broad accessibility and polished platforming design. The game leans into classic Donkey Kong fundamentals, precise jumping, readable level layouts, and playful challenge, while layering in modern presentation and quality-of-life improvements that make it approachable for younger players.
The award reflects the game’s ability to appeal across age groups. It delivers enough depth to keep experienced players engaged without sacrificing the clarity and charm that define strong family-focused titles.
Awards won:
* Best Family Game
10. Doom: The Dark Ages (1 Award)
Doom: The Dark Ages was recognized for Innovation in Accessibility, highlighting how id Software expanded the franchise’s reach without compromising its fast-paced combat identity. The game introduced customizable difficulty modifiers, improved visual readability, and expanded control options, allowing more players to engage with its demanding mechanics.
This win underscores a broader industry trend toward inclusive design. Doom: The Dark Ages demonstrates that accessibility features can coexist with high-skill gameplay rather than dilute it.
Awards won:
* Innovation in Accessibility
11. Umamusume: Pretty Derby (1 Award)
Umamusume: Pretty Derby earned Best Mobile Game, reflecting its continued success in blending sports management mechanics with character-driven storytelling. The game combines racing simulations with training systems and narrative arcs, supported by high production values uncommon in mobile titles.
Its win highlights how mobile games can achieve sustained popularity through depth, polish, and consistent content updates, rather than relying solely on short-session engagement.
Awards won:
* Best Mobile Game
12. The Last of Us: Season 2 (1 Award)
The Last of Us: Season 2 won Best Adaptation, continuing the franchise’s success beyond its original medium. Building on the narrative foundation of Naughty Dog’s games, the HBO series translated its character-driven storytelling, emotional weight, and moral ambiguity into long-form television with broad critical and commercial appeal.
The award reflects how faithfully the adaptation preserved the source material’s tone while still functioning as a standalone series. Its success has further validated video games as a strong foundation for prestige television when handled with care.
Awards won:
* Best Adaptation
13. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (1 Award)
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves claimed Best Fighting Game, marking a strong return for SNK’s long-running franchise. The game modernized classic mechanics while maintaining the timing, spacing, and execution that define competitive fighting games. Its visual style and refined combat systems helped it stand out in a crowded genre.
The win highlights the continued relevance of traditional fighting game design when paired with modern production values and online infrastructure.
Awards won:
* Best Fighting Game
14. FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles (1 Award)
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles won Best Sim / Strategy Game, recognizing the enduring appeal of tactical RPG design. The remaster introduced visual enhancements, balance adjustments, and modern platform support while preserving the complex job system and politically driven narrative that defined the original.
Its award underscores how thoughtful remasters can reintroduce classic systems to new audiences without losing their original identity.
Awards won:
* Best Sim / Strategy Game
15. Mario Kart World (1 Award)
Mario Kart World earned Best Sports / Racing Game, reinforcing Nintendo’s dominance in accessible competitive design. The game expanded the series with new tracks, mechanics, and online features while retaining the straightforward controls and chaotic balance that define Mario Kart.
The award reflects the franchise’s ability to evolve incrementally while remaining one of the most widely played multiplayer experiences across age groups.
Awards won:
* Best Sports / Racing Game
16. The Midnight Walk (1 Award)
The Midnight Walk won Best VR / AR Game, highlighting how virtual reality continues to mature as a storytelling platform. The game focused on atmosphere, environmental interaction, and narrative pacing rather than technical spectacle alone, offering an experience designed specifically around immersion.
Its recognition signals growing appreciation for VR titles that prioritize design intention over novelty.
Awards won:
* Best VR / AR Game
17. Wuthering Waves (1 Award)
Wuthering Waves received the Player’s Voice award, the only category decided entirely by fan voting. The game gained a large and vocal following thanks to its fast-paced combat, open-world exploration, and ongoing content updates, particularly within the free-to-play action RPG space.
This win reflects strong community engagement and sustained player enthusiasm rather than critical jury consensus.
Awards won:
* Player’s Voice
18. Grand Theft Auto VI (1 Award)
Grand Theft Auto VI won Most Anticipated Game, an unsurprising outcome given the franchise’s cultural footprint and Rockstar Games’ long development cycle. As the first mainline GTA entry in over a decade, the game carries immense expectations around scale, technical ambition, and narrative scope. Trailers and limited previews have already fueled record-breaking engagement across social media and streaming platforms.
The award reflects anticipation rather than execution, but it also highlights how dominant legacy franchises remain in shaping industry attention. Even without a release date in sight, Grand Theft Auto VI continues to set the benchmark for hype in modern gaming.
Awards won:
* Most Anticipated Game
Final thoughts: The full winners list and what it says about 2025
Taken as a whole, The Game Awards 2025 reflected an industry increasingly shaped by strong creative direction, long-term support, and player trust. Independent development reached a new high point, live-service games continued to prove their value through sustained updates, and established franchises maintained their gravitational pull on global audiences.
For reference, here is the complete list of award categories and their respective winners from The Game Awards 2025:
* Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Game Direction: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Narrative: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best RPG: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Independent Game: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Debut Indie Game: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Art Direction: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
* Best Score and Music: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Lorien Testard)
* Best Performance: Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
* Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike 2
* Best Esports Team: Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)
* Best Multiplayer: Arc Raiders
* Best Action Game: Hades II
* Best Action Adventure Game: Hollow Knight: Silksong
* Best Audio Design: Battlefield 6
* Best Ongoing Game: No Man’s Sky
* Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3
* Best Family Game: Donkey Kong Bananza
* Best Fighting Game: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
* Best Sim / Strategy Game: FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles
* Best Sports / Racing Game: Mario Kart World
* Best Mobile Game: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
* Best VR / AR Game: The Midnight Walk
* Innovation in Accessibility: Doom: The Dark Ages
* Games for Impact: South of Midnight
* Best Adaptation: The Last of Us: Season 2
* Player’s Voice: Wuthering Waves
* Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto VI
From a hardware perspective, many of these award-winning titles demand capable systems, whether for high-refresh competitive play, visually dense RPGs, or large-scale multiplayer experiences. This is where pre-configured gaming systems continue to offer practical value. Acer Predator and Nitro gaming laptops and desktops available through the Acer Store are well suited for modern releases like Arc Raiders, Battlefield 6, and Hades II, offering balanced CPU and GPU configurations without the complexity of custom builds.
For students, Acer also provides an additional incentive. Eligible buyers can receive 15% off through Acer’s student discount program, making high-performance gaming hardware more accessible at a time when component prices remain volatile. For players looking to experience 2025’s best games as intended, that combination of value and performance is difficult to ignore.
Recommended Products
Predator Helios 18 AI (RTX 5080)
Buy Now
Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (RTX 5070Ti)
Buy Now
Predator Triton 14 AI (RTX 5070)
Buy Now
-
ARC Raiders Expedition 2 Guide: Is It Worth It?
ARC Raiders Expedition is an optional progression reset system that allows players to leave the Rust Belt in exchange for long-term rewards, permanent unlocks, and temporary buffs that carry into a new Raider. Instead of forcing a global wipe, Expeditions give players a limited departure window where they can choose whether to reset their progress based on how prepared they feel. By investing time and resources into building a caravan and contributing their entire stash, players can earn bonus skill points, extra storage, and account-wide advantages that stack across future Expeditions. The system is designed to respect player investment while still refreshing progression and pacing as the game evolves.
What is the Expedition
In ARC Raiders, an Expedition is an optional progression reset that allows your Raider to permanently leave the Rust Belt and begin a new journey with account-level advantages. Instead of acting as a mandatory wipe for all players, Expeditions run on a set schedule and are built around a 60-day preparation period, where you gather materials and complete a multi-stage caravan project. After the build is finished, a shorter departure window opens, and you decide whether to send your Raider out for good or hold off for a later cycle.
When you undertake an Expedition, your current Raider departs aboard the caravan you have constructed. Once the caravan leaves, most forms of character progression reset, including your level, skill tree, stash, inventory, workshop progression, and blueprints. However, certain unlocks and bonuses carry forward to your next Raider, which helps returning players restart with small but meaningful advantages. These benefits can become stronger if you continue completing Expeditions over multiple cycles, making this system a long-term progression layer rather than a one-time reset.
If you do not depart during the departure window, you are not forced into anything. Your caravan progress is preserved, and you can continue preparing and improving your stash value until a future Expedition window opens. This structure makes Expeditions more flexible than traditional wipes, since participation is based on readiness rather than a fixed, mandatory reset.
Note on Expedition cycles: Expeditions in ARC Raiders run on seasonal schedules, with requirements and rewards that may change between cycles. The information below reflects the current Expedition cycle running from December 22, 2025 to February 18, 2026, unless otherwise stated.
Current Expedition Requirements (December 22, 2025 to February 18, 2026)
Preparing for an Expedition in ARC Raiders takes place over a 60-day preparation period and is divided into six required project stages. Each stage unlocks in sequence and requires specific materials or item value contributions. All progress is account-wide, meaning any Raider can contribute toward completing the caravan.
The second Expedition cycle introduces updated material requirements while keeping the same overall structure. Players must complete all five phases before the caravan is ready to depart.
Stage 1: Foundation (1/6)
This stage focuses on building the base structure and frame of the caravan.
Required materials:
* Metal Parts x150
* Plastic Parts x200
* ARC Alloy x80
* Steel Springs x15
Stage 2: Core Systems (2/6)
This stage installs essential systems such as wiring, ventilation, and power.
Required materials:
* Durable Cloth x35
* Wires x25
* Electrical Components x20
* Cooling Coils x4
Stage 3: Framework (3/6)
This stage builds the walls and roof while defining the interior layout.
Required materials:
* Light Bulbs x4
* Batteries x30
* Shredder Gyros x10
* Exodus Module x1
Stage 4: Outfitting (4/6)
This stage adds storage, workbenches, utilities, and functional upgrades.
Required materials:
* Frequency Modulation Boxes x5
* Advanced Electrical Components x5
* Ion Sputters x3
* Leaper Pulse Units x3
Stage 5: Load Stage (5/6)
Instead of specific items, this stage requires credit value thresholds across several item categories. Any combination of items can be used as long as the total value meets the requirement.
Required item value:
* 200,000 credits worth of Combat Items
(Ammunition, Grenades, Traps, Weapons, Weapon Modifications)
* 100,000 credits worth of Survival Items
(Augments, Healing Items, Quick Use Items, Shields)
* 150,000 credits worth of Provisions
(Keys, Nature Items, Old World Items, Trinkets)
* 300,000 credits worth of Materials
(Basic Materials, Advanced Materials, Recyclables, Refined Materials, Topside Materials)
Stage 6: Departure (6/6)
Once all previous stages are complete, the caravan is ready to leave. When the Expedition departure window opens, you may choose to send your Raider beyond the Rust Belt permanently.
Key details at departure:
* All remaining items in your stash are automatically contributed to the Expedition
* Total stash value, including coins, determines bonus skill points for your next Raider
* 1,000,000 credits of value equals 1 bonus skill point
* Maximum of 5 bonus skill points
If you choose not to depart during the window, all caravan progress is preserved and carries over to the next Expedition cycle.
What are the rewards of the Expedition #2
Completing an Expedition in ARC Raiders grants a mix of permanent account unlocks and temporary gameplay buffs that apply to your next Raider. These rewards are designed to provide long-term progression without creating an overwhelming advantage, especially since each Expedition requires a full reset of character progress.
Permanent rewards
Permanent rewards are unlocked once an Expedition is completed and remain on your account for all future Raiders.
These include:
* Expedition-exclusive cosmetic items (Not yet announced)
* Expedition indicator icon
* Bonus skill points based on stash value at departure
* +12 stash slots
Bonus skill points are calculated using the total value of all items and coins in your stash at the time the departure window closes. For every 1,000,000 credits of combined value, your next Raider earns one bonus skill point, up to a maximum of five. These bonus skill points persist across future resets and stack with additional Expeditions.
Temporary buffs
In addition to permanent unlocks, each completed Expedition grants temporary account-wide buffs that apply to your next Raider. These buffs last until the next Expedition cycle unless another Expedition is completed.
Temporary buffs include:
* 10 percent reduced repair costs
* 5 percent increased experience gain
* 6 percent more materials received from Scrappy
These temporary buffs can stack up to three times if you complete Expeditions in consecutive cycles. However, if you skip an Expedition window and do not depart, all temporary buffs are lost, even though permanent rewards remain.
Overall, the reward structure encourages long-term engagement with the Expedition system while still allowing players to opt out without permanently falling behind.
What happens when you complete the Expedition
When you complete an Expedition in ARC Raiders, your current Raider permanently leaves the Rust Belt, and a new Raider is created to begin the next cycle. At this point, much of your character-specific progression is reset, while certain account-level progress and Expedition rewards carry forward. The reset is immediate and tied directly to your decision to depart during the Expedition window.
Most forms of progression are wiped. Your player level, skill tree, stash contents, inventory items, coins, blueprints, quests, and workshop upgrades are reset. While the workshop itself remains unlocked, it returns to level one and must be rebuilt through normal gameplay. This ensures that every Expedition restart begins from a clean economic and progression baseline.
At the same time, several key elements are preserved. Unlocked maps, workshop stations, codex entries, cosmetics, trials, active leaderboards, personal event progress, and Raider deck progress all remain available. Any bonus skill points and additional stash slots earned through Expeditions are immediately applied to your new Raider, allowing you to invest in the skill tree earlier than usual.
To reduce friction during the restart, the game skips the initial onboarding sequence after your first Expedition. All maps and base workshop access are available right away, meaning you do not need to repeat early unlock steps just to regain access to core systems. While you still begin with no gear or resources, the restart is streamlined compared to a brand-new account.
In practice, completing an Expedition resets moment-to-moment progression while preserving long-term account identity. The goal is not to erase your achievements, but to let experienced players re-enter the game loop with slightly better efficiency and fewer early-game barriers.
Is it worth it?
Whether the Expedition system is worth engaging with depends heavily on how much time a player can commit to ARC Raiders. From a practical standpoint, the immediate payoff is limited. Reaching the maximum reward of five bonus skill points requires a combined stash and coin value of 5 million credits, which represents a significant time investment. For many players, that level of accumulation takes dozens of hours, especially without focusing exclusively on high-value farming.
There is also the cost of lost progression to consider. Completing an Expedition resets all blueprints, which can be a major setback for players who have already collected most or all of them. With more than 70 blueprints available and their locations based on random spawns, rebuilding that collection can take a long time. Losing access to high-tier blueprints after a reset can slow early progression and make the restart feel repetitive rather than rewarding.
For highly dedicated players, the system makes more sense. Hardcore players who regularly invest large amounts of time can benefit from stacking temporary buffs, permanent stash space, and earlier access to skill points. Over multiple Expeditions, these advantages can compound and slightly smooth out future progression cycles. For players who enjoy optimization and long-term planning, Expeditions offer a clear, if gradual, sense of account growth.
For more casual players, however, the value is less clear. The progress wipe outweighs the benefits, especially when the rewards do not meaningfully change early-game difficulty or pacing. In its current form, the Expedition system appears better suited to long-term, highly engaged players rather than those who play intermittently or prefer steady progression without resets.
Conclusion
The Expedition system in ARC Raiders is a thoughtful attempt to address long-term progression without relying on mandatory global wipes. By making resets optional and tying rewards to preparation and commitment, the developers give players control over when and how they start over. The structure respects player choice, even if the current rewards may feel modest compared to the amount of progress that is reset.
As the system evolves through future updates and balance changes, Expeditions may become more appealing, especially if rewards are expanded or blueprint progression is adjusted. For now, it remains a feature aimed primarily at the most dedicated players, while casual Raiders can safely ignore it without falling behind.
If you are planning to invest serious time into ARC Raiders, having the right hardware can make a meaningful difference. The Acer Store offers a wide range of gaming laptops and desktops, including the Predator and Nitro series, built to handle long sessions, fast load times, and demanding combat scenarios. Whether you are grinding materials or pushing into high-risk zones, upgrading your setup through the Acer Store can help you get the most out of every raid.
Recommended Products
Predator Triton 14 AI (RTX 5070)
Buy Now
Acer Nitro V 16 (RTX 5060)
Buy Now
Predator Helios Neo 16 AI (RTX 5070)
Buy Now
-
Why Rising PC Hardware Prices are Pushing Gamers Toward Cloud Gaming
PC gamers are increasingly being pushed toward cloud gaming as rising GPU and RAM prices make traditional hardware upgrades harder to justify. Graphics cards that once sat within reach of mid-range buyers now sell far above their launch prices, while memory costs have climbed just as sharply. What used to be a straightforward performance upgrade has become a much larger financial decision for many players.
The impact is being felt across the entire PC gaming market. New graphics cards often cost hundreds of dollars more than their intended price points, even months after release. At the same time, RAM prices have surged across both DDR4 and DDR5, increasing the total cost of building or upgrading a system.
For gamers who planned to refresh their hardware in 2025, the upgrade path no longer feels predictable. Instead of choosing components based on performance needs, many players are now forced to weigh rising costs against how much value an upgrade actually delivers. This shift is changing how gamers approach PC hardware and opening the door to alternatives that do not rely on expensive local components.
GPU and RAM price increases are making PC upgrades unaffordable
The combined cost of graphics cards and memory has turned PC upgrades into a far more expensive decision than in previous years. High-end GPUs have moved well beyond what most gamers consider reasonable, and even mid-range cards often sell hundreds of dollars above their intended price points. At the same time, memory prices have surged across both DDR4 and DDR5, raising the baseline cost of any new build or upgrade.
Industry data illustrates how sharp the increase has been. TrendForce reports that many DDR5 memory modules have risen by 120 to 200 percent compared with early 2025 pricing. Broader DRAM pricing indexes are up nearly 50 percent year to date, while contract prices for memory chips have increased by 30 to 60 percent in a matter of months. These costs flow directly into consumer pricing, affecting prebuilt systems and individual components alike.
When expensive GPUs are paired with sharply higher RAM prices, the total cost of upgrading can quickly exceed what many gamers are willing or able to spend. For players who once upgraded every few years, the current market makes that cycle harder to sustain.
Why graphics cards and memory prices are rising at the same time
GPU and RAM prices are rising together because both markets are being shaped by the same underlying forces. The most significant of these is the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. Data centers that train and run AI models require enormous amounts of compute power and memory, especially high bandwidth memory used alongside advanced GPUs.
Both graphics processors and memory rely on limited semiconductor manufacturing capacity. As AI companies place long-term orders and pay premium prices, suppliers prioritize those customers. This shifts capacity away from consumer hardware, reducing supply for gaming GPUs and standard DRAM.
Memory manufacturers have also adopted tighter production strategies after years of oversupply. By limiting output and focusing on higher-margin products, they are able to maintain higher prices. At the same time, DDR4 is being phased out more quickly than planned, which tightens supply further for older systems.
The result is a market where GPUs and RAM are becoming more expensive in parallel, driven by shared supply constraints and rising demand from outside the gaming space.
How rising hardware costs are changing PC gamer behavior
As upgrade costs rise, many PC gamers are rethinking how they approach hardware. Instead of upgrading as soon as new components launch, players are increasingly delaying purchases, skipping generations, or deciding to run existing systems for as long as possible.
Some gamers are choosing to lower expectations, sticking with lower settings or relying on features like upscaling and frame generation to extend the life of their hardware. Others are opting out of upgrades entirely, especially when the cost of a new GPU and memory kit rivals that of a complete console or laptop.
This shift in behavior has broader implications. When upgrading feels financially risky, gamers become more open to alternatives that do not depend on owning high-end local hardware. That change in mindset is one of the reasons cloud gaming is gaining renewed attention as a potential stopgap, or even a long-term option, for some players.
Why cloud gaming is becoming a practical alternative for some PC gamers
As the cost of upgrading PC hardware rises, cloud gaming has started to look more appealing to a segment of the PC gaming audience. Cloud services remove the need to buy expensive graphics cards or large amounts of system memory by running games on remote servers instead of local machines.
For gamers who primarily play popular live-service titles, single-player games, or back-catalog releases, cloud gaming can meet performance needs without the upfront cost of a full upgrade. A monthly subscription often costs less than the price difference between current GPU generations, especially when memory prices are factored in.
Cloud gaming also offers flexibility. Games can be played across multiple devices, including older PCs, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. For players who value convenience or who are unwilling to commit thousands of dollars to new hardware, this model is increasingly attractive.
Credible cloud gaming services PC gamers can use today
Several cloud gaming platforms now offer reliable access to PC and console games, each with different strengths and trade-offs.
* GeForce NOW allows users to stream PC games they already own on platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store. It offers strong performance, high resolutions, and support for modern features such as ray tracing, though queues and subscription tiers can affect availability.
* Xbox Cloud Gaming is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and provides access to a large rotating library of console titles. It works well for casual play and cross-platform access, though it does not replace full PC ownership for modding or competitive gaming.
* PlayStation Plus Premium offers cloud streaming for select PlayStation titles. It is primarily aimed at console players rather than PC gamers, but it remains an option for accessing exclusives without owning a PlayStation console.
* Boosteroid focuses on PC game streaming and supports many popular titles. Availability varies by region, and performance depends heavily on proximity to its data centers.
* Shadow provides users with a full remote Windows PC. This option offers the most flexibility, including modding and productivity tasks, but it is also the most expensive and depends heavily on stable, high-speed internet.
Each service addresses different needs, and none fully replaces a high-end local PC. However, for gamers squeezed by rising hardware costs, these platforms offer viable ways to keep playing without upgrading.
Why rising hardware costs may permanently change how PC gamers play
Cloud gaming is not replacing traditional PC gaming overnight, but rising GPU and RAM prices are accelerating a shift that was already underway. As hardware upgrades become more expensive and less predictable, more gamers are questioning whether local ownership still offers enough value to justify the cost.
For many players, the issue is not performance alone. It is about flexibility, timing, and return on investment. Spending thousands of dollars on a PC upgrade makes less sense when cloud services can deliver acceptable performance for a monthly fee, especially for those with reliable internet access. This is particularly true for gamers who play a smaller number of titles or who prioritize convenience over maximum visual fidelity.
That said, cloud gaming remains a compromise. Latency, image compression, and reliance on server availability still limit its appeal for competitive and enthusiast players. Local hardware continues to offer unmatched responsiveness, control, and ownership. For gamers who still want a dedicated PC experience, buying from established vendors with strong value propositions matters more than ever.
This is where options like the Acer Store become relevant. Acer’s gaming laptops and desktops offer a more predictable way to enter or upgrade within the PC ecosystem, especially during periods of market volatility. For students, the Acer Store’s 15% student discount can significantly reduce the cost of entry, making local gaming hardware more accessible despite broader pricing pressures.
If current trends persist, cloud gaming is likely to remain a growing alternative rather than a full replacement. Instead of one dominant path, PC gaming may split into two clear directions: premium local hardware for those who value ownership and performance, and cloud-based access for players prioritizing affordability and convenience. Rising hardware prices are not just changing what gamers buy, but how they choose to play.
Recommended Products
Predator Triton 14 AI
(RTX 5070) Buy Now
Acer Nitro V 16 AI (RTX 5060)
Buy Now
Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (RTX 5070)
Buy Now
