Video Game Subscriptions and Cloud Gaming: The Complete Guide for 2026

A video game subscription currently costs between €4.99 and €21.99 per month in France, depending on the platform and plan chosen. With 40.2 million French gamers in 2025 and 44% of them subscribed to at least one gaming platform, the market has completely shifted toward the subscription model. Here is the complete 2026 comparison of the eight major offerings: PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch Online, Apple Arcade, Blacknut, Google Play Pass, GeForce Now, and Boosteroid.

Key points to remember

• 40.2 million gamers in France by 2025, 44% of whom subscribe to a gaming platform, with an average monthly budget of €19.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will drop to €20.99/month in April 2026 (a 22% decrease), while PS Plus Essential will remain at €9.99/month or €71.99/year.
• Nintendo Switch Online Family for €34.99/year for 8 accounts: the most affordable option per user on the market.
• Apple Arcade for €6.99/month, with no ads or in-app purchases, and family sharing for up to 6 people included.
• Blacknut, a French cloud gaming service for €9.99 (Solo) / €14.99 (Family, 5 profiles), with over 500 games.
• The global cloud gaming market is projected to reach $23.79 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of 26.8%.

Why do 44% of French gamers have a gaming subscription?

Video games have never reached as many people in France. The Union of Leisure Software Publishers (SELL) estimates there will be 40.2 million French gamers by 2025—roughly seven out of ten French people. This demographic is split 51% men and 49% women, with an average age of 40. It’s hard to fit the stereotype of a teenager glued to their controller.

What has changed is the relationship to purchasing. Of these 40 million, 76% play at least once a week and spend an average of 7 hours and 55 minutes doing so. Most importantly, 44% subscribe to a gaming platform, and the average budget amounts to €119 per year in purchases plus €19 per month in subscriptions. The French video game market was worth €5.7 billion in 2024 (source: CNC).

• 40.2 million players —about 7 out of 10 French people.
• 44% are subscribers to a gaming platform such as PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass, or Switch Online.
• €19/month — the average monthly gaming budget for a French gamer.
• €5.7 billion — the French video game market in 2024.
• $360 billion — global gaming market in 2025, projected to reach $407 billion in 2026.

How much will PS Plus cost in 2026?

Sony offers three tiers of PS Plus in France for PS5 and PS4 players. Each tier adds features without replacing the previous one: Essential remains the mandatory tier for multiplayer, Extra adds a game library, and Premium includes cloud gaming and retro games.

The three PS Plus plans

• PS Plus Essential — €9.99/month or €71.99/year, 2–3 games per month, online multiplayer, cloud saves.
• PS Plus Extra — €13.99/month, featuring a library of over 400 downloadable games, including recent AAA titles.
• PS Plus Premium — €16.99/month or €151.99/year, 700+ games, cloud gaming, PS1/PS2/PSP retro catalog.

None of the three plans officially offers family sharing. This is their main weakness compared to Nintendo or Apple. To cut costs, many gamers are turning to legal subscription sharing through platforms like spliiit connect verified users.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Why Is the Price Dropping in 2026?

Microsoft made a bold move in April 2026 by lowering the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to €20.99 per month, a drop of about 22% from the previous price. This decision comes after a long series of price hikes by competitors (PS Plus up €1 in May 2026, Switch 2 up €30 in September 2026).

What's included in Game Pass Ultimate

• Over 400 games in the catalog, including Microsoft's day-one releases.
• EA Play included (FIFA, Battlefield, FC, Need for Speed, Bioware games).
• Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox, PC, mobile, and smart TVs.
• First-party games at launch (Bethesda, Activision Blizzard following the acquisition).
• Discounts on games and DLC from the Microsoft Store.

The Xbox offering is undoubtedly the most generous in terms of raw value. Game Pass includes new Microsoft releases right out of the gate, something no competitor does. The trade-off: there’s no official family sharing either, and you need an Xbox console or a compatible PC.

Save up to 70% on your gaming subscriptions with subscription sharing. spliiit verified users so they can share their subscriptions legally and without risk to their accounts. See how it works.

Nintendo Switch Online: Why Is the Family Plan Unbeatable?

Nintendo is focusing on low annual pricing. While its competitors charge on a monthly basis, the Japanese company offers an annual subscription that’s half the price of PS Plus. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2025 has also unlocked new exclusive content, such as the GameCube library.

The four NSO packages in 2026

• NSO Standard Individual — €19.99/year, online multiplayer, cloud saves, smartphone app, NES/SNES/Game Boy libraries.
• NSO Standard Family — €34.99/year for up to 8 Nintendo accounts.
• NSO + Individual Add-On Pack — €39.99/year, adds N64, GBA, SEGA Mega Drive, Virtual Boy, GameCube (Switch 2 exclusive), and several major DLC packs.
• NSO + Family Add-on Pack — €69.99/year for 8 accounts.

Nintendo's family policy is more lenient than Apple's or Google's. An admin account held by someone over 18 can invite up to 8 Nintendo accounts, with no requirement for a shared household. In practice, this means you can legally share a subscription with friends. With 8 accounts, that works out to €4.37 per person per year for the standard plan. For more details on the rules, see our Nintendo Switch Online Family Guide.

Is Apple Arcade worth the €6.99 price tag?

Apple Arcade is the most affordable option among monthly gaming subscriptions. At €6.99/month in 2026, it provides access to over 200 premium games with no ads or in-app purchases, and includes free family sharing for up to six people via Apple Family Sharing.

What we love about Apple Arcade

• No ads, no in-app purchases —a radical departure from traditional mobile gaming.
• Curation quality — Apple selects over 200 premium titles, not a diluted catalog.
• Share with up to 6 people via Apple Family Sharing—for free.
• Included in Apple One (Music + TV+ + Arcade + iCloud+) starting at €19.95/month.
• Offline downloads are available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, and Apple Vision Pro.

The major downside: Apple Arcade only works within the Apple ecosystem. No Android, no Windows PCs, no consoles. If your whole family uses iPhones, it’s excellent value for money. Our full review of Apple Arcade breaks down the catalog and its limitations.

Blacknut: What Does French Cloud Gaming Offer?

Blacknut is a French cloud gaming provider founded in 2016 in Rennes. The platform offers more than 500 games that can be played via streaming on a browser, smartphone, Smart TV, or streaming device. Pricing starts at €9.99/month for the Solo plan and €14.99/month for the Family plan, which includes 5 separate user profiles.

Blacknut's strengths

• Over 500 cloud-streamed games, with a goal of over 800 by 2026.
• Group of 5 profiles with no requirement for a real household; each follows their own path.
• Wide compatibility: web browsers, Android, iOS, Samsung TV, LG TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV.
• Partnerships with Ubisoft+ Classics (Assassin's Creed, Far Cry), Take-Two, and Square Enix.
• Streaming up to 1080p, 4K under optimal conditions, minimum connection speed of 15 Mbps.

The Blacknut catalog focuses on family-friendly and indie games rather than recent AAA titles. For top-tier games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield, GeForce Now Ultimate is still the better choice. For evenings with friends or family playing from a diverse selection of 500 titles, Blacknut holds its own. Read more in our full Blacknut review.

Google Play Pass: The Most Affordable Android Option?

Google Play Pass remains the most affordable gaming subscription on the market at around €4.99 per month. The service provides access to over 1,000 games and apps, free of ads and in-app purchases, on Android and Chromebook. Family sharing is available for up to 5 people via Google Family Group.

• Over 1,000 games and apps in the catalog—more than Apple Arcade.
• Approximately €4.99 per month, which is the lowest price on the gaming subscription market.
• Share with 5 people via Google Family Group.
• No ads, no in-app purchases — the same model as Apple Arcade.
• Compatible only with Android, Chromebook, and certain Windows devices.

GeForce Now and Boosteroid: Play AAA Games in the Cloud

NVIDIA GeForce Now and Boosteroid are in a league of their own compared to Blacknut: these two services don’t offer a game library; instead, they stream your own Steam, Epic Games, GOG, or Ubisoft Connect games on high-end GPU servers.

GeForce Now vs. Boosteroid Comparison

• GeForce Now Performance — approximately €10.99/month, sessions up to 6 hours, 1440p resolution.
• GeForce Now Ultimate — approximately €21.99/month, RTX 4080 access, ray tracing, 4K HDR, 8-hour sessions.
• Boosteroid — approximately €9.89/month, 1,700+ titles, data centers in France (Paris, Marseille) since 2026.
• Neither NVIDIA nor Boosteroid includes a game library: you play the games you already own from PC stores.
• Compatible with browsers, PCs, Macs, Android, iOS (Safari), LG/Samsung Smart TVs, and NVIDIA Shield.

Boosteroid is gradually expanding its presence in France with servers in Paris and Marseille by 2026, which reduces latency. The service claims to support over 1,700 titles, compared to a library on GeForce Now that varies depending on negotiations with publishers.

A Comprehensive Comparison of Gaming Subscriptions in France

The table below compares individual pricing, account sharing options, and game libraries for the leading gaming subscriptions in France as of May 18, 2026.

• Service|Individual pricing|Family / shared|Games|Cloud
• PS Plus Essential|€9.99/month or €71.99/year|No|2–3 games per month|No
• PS Plus Extra|€13.99/month|No|400+ games|No
• PS Plus Premium|€16.99/month or €151.99/year|No|700+ games + retro|Yes
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate|€20.99/month|No|400+ games + EA Play + 1st-party Day 1|Yes
• NSO Standard|€19.99/year|€34.99/year (8 accounts)|Online + NES/SNES/GB backlog|No
• NSO + Additional Pack|€39.99/year|€69.99/year (8 accounts)|+ N64/GBA/Mega Drive/GameCube|No
• Apple Arcade|$6.99/month|Included (up to 6 people)|200+ premium games|No
• Google Play Pass|~€4.99/month|5 people|1,000+ games and apps|No
• Blacknut Solo|$9.99/month|No|500+ cloud games|Yes
• Blacknut Family|$14.99/month|5 accounts|500+ cloud games|Yes
• GeForce Now Performance|~€10.99/month|No|Your Steam/Epic games|Yes
• GeForce Now Ultimate|~€21.99/month|No|Your games in RTX 4080|Yes
• Boosteroid|~€9.89/month|No|1,700+ tracks|Yes

Catalog Comparison: Content Volume and Type

• Service|Catalog Volume|Main Type|Exclusives
• PS Plus Premium | 700+ | Sony AAA titles, indie games, PS1/PS2 classics | PlayStation exclusives
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | 400+ | AAA and first-party day-one titles | Microsoft Studios, Activision
• NSO + Additional Pack | 200+ Retro | Nintendo Classics | GameCube Exclusive Switch 2
• Apple Arcade|200+|Premium mobile/desktop|Ad-free versions of Dredge+ and Unpacking+
• Google Play Pass|1000+|Mobile + apps|Premium Android catalog
• Blacknut|500+|Family, Indie, Retro|Ubisoft+ Classics
• Boosteroid | Over 1,700 compatible titles | Your PC games | Data centers in France

How can you legally share your gaming subscription?

Most gaming platforms in France do not allow sharing outside of a restricted family setting. There are three scenarios in 2026.

Services with official sharing

• Nintendo Switch Online Family — up to 8 accounts, no requirement to be in the same household.
• Apple Arcade — 6 people via Apple Family Sharing.
• Google Play Pass — 5 people via Google Family Group.
• Blacknut Family — 5 profiles with no residency restrictions.

Services without official authorization

• PS Plus (Essential, Extra, Premium) — no official family plan.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — no family plan available in France.
• GeForce Now and Boosteroid — strictly for personal use.

For services that don't officially support sharing, or to lower the cost of those that do, spliiit legal subscription-sharing service spliiit verified users who want to share a subscription. For more details, check out our comparison of sharing platforms, the NSO sharing guide, the Apple Arcade sharing tutorial, or the Google Play Pass guide.

Want to enjoy PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass, or Switch Online without paying the full price? Co-subscription lets you split the cost by legally sharing your subscription with other verified users. Find out how it works on spliiit.

Which gaming subscription should you choose based on your profile?

No single gaming subscription is universally the best. The choice depends on your primary platform, budget, the number of users, and the types of games you enjoy.

Sample Profiles and Recommendations

• PS5 single-player gamer — PS Plus Extra for €13.99/month for the game library, or Essential for multiplayer only.
• AAA Xbox/PC Gamer — Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for €20.99/month, unbeatable with first-party day-one titles.
• Nintendo Family — NSO Family for €34.99/year for 8 accounts; add the Expansion Pack if you want GameCube access.
• Apple iPhone/iPad Family Plan — Apple Arcade for €6.99/month, or Apple One Family for €25.95/month for the full bundle.
• Android Mobile Gamer — Google Play Pass for €4.99/month offers unbeatable value for money.
• Gamers without a console — Blacknut Family for €14.99/month for versatile, TV-compatible cloud gaming.
• PC gamers without a recent GPU — use GeForce Now Ultimate or Boosteroid to stream your Steam/Epic games.

What trends can we expect for gaming subscriptions in 2026?

The year 2026 marks a turning point. After several years of steady price increases (PS Plus went up by €1 in May 2026, and the Nintendo Switch 2 rose to €499.99 on September 1, 2026, due to the cost of DRAM chips), Microsoft reversed the trend with a 22% price cut on Game Pass Ultimate.

• Cloud gaming is on the rise — the global market is projected to reach $23.79 billion by 2026, with an expected annual growth rate of 26.8% through 2034.
• Focus on family use — Apple Arcade for 6 people, NSO for 8 accounts, Blacknut for 5 profiles.
• Retro catalog as a differentiator — Nintendo is betting big on the Virtual Boy (2026) and GameCube (Switch 2 exclusive).
• GameChat on Switch 2 — native voice and video chat, on par with PS5 and Xbox.
• Boosteroid will establish a presence in France with data centers in Paris and Marseille in 2026.

For more information on the hardware, check out our guide to the Nintendo Switch 2 price and release date in France, as well as our comparison of PS Plus vs. Xbox Game Pass.

Looking to lower the cost of your gaming subscription? With shared subscriptions between verified users, you can legally share Xbox Game Pass, NSO Family, Apple Arcade, or Blacknut by splitting the bill. See which subscriptions can be shared on spliiit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best gaming subscription in 2026?

None is objectively better. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at €20.99/month remains unbeatable in terms of raw value, especially with first-party day-one titles. For a family, NSO Family at €34.99/year for 8 accounts offers the best price-per-user ratio. Apple Arcade at €6.99/month is the most affordable option if you use Apple devices.

How much does a video game subscription cost per month?

Prices range from €4.99 (Google Play Pass) to €21.99/month (GeForce Now Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate). According to SELL, the average monthly budget for a French gamer with a subscription is €19. Nintendo Switch Online is the exception to the rule, with an annual fee of €19.99, which works out to €1.67 per month.

Is it legal to share a gaming subscription?

Yes for Apple Arcade (6 users), Google Play Pass (5), Nintendo Switch Online Family (8 accounts), and Blacknut Family (5 profiles). Not officially supported for PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, and Boosteroid. For these services, platforms like spliiit shared subscriptions between verified users.

Is cloud gaming worth it?

Yes, if you don't have a recent console or a gaming PC. Boosteroid (€9.89/month) and Blacknut (€9.99/month) are the most affordable options. GeForce Now Ultimate (€21.99/month) remains the gold standard for playing in 4K with ray tracing on any device. You'll need a connection speed of at least 15 Mbps.

Why did the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate drop in April 2026?

Microsoft cut the price to €20.99/month (a 22% reduction) in April 2026 to boost subscriptions and compete with PS Plus. The strategy: attract PC and console gamers with first-party day-one titles (Bethesda, Activision Blizzard), at a more affordable price point than the previous €26.99.

What's the best family plan for gamers?

Nintendo Switch Online Family costs €34.99/year for 8 accounts, or €4.37/year per person. Since there’s no requirement to be part of the same household, you can share it with friends and extended family. Apple Arcade, at €6.99/month for 6 people, is also a great option if everyone has Apple devices.

Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass: Which One Should You Choose?

Apple Arcade (€6.99/month) offers over 200 curated premium games with no ads or in-app purchases on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Google Play Pass (€4.99/month) offers over 1,000 games and apps on Android. The choice depends on your ecosystem: Apple Arcade excels in curation, while Google Play Pass wins out in terms of selection and price.