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GPU VIRTUALISATION IN THE DATA CENTRE

As the gaming industry continues its shift toward cloud platforms, particularly in high-growth markets like China, the demand for scalable, high-performance infrastructure is accelerating. At the centre of this transformation lies a powerful enabler: GPU virtualisation.

THE RISE OF CLOUD GAMING

Cloud gaming allows users to stream games directly from data centres to their devices. No downloads, no consoles, just instant access. This model is gaining momentum fast. The global cloud gaming market was valued at $2.27 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 44.3% through 2030.

This explosive growth is driven by:

  • 5G and high-speed internet availability
  • Cross-platform gaming demand
  • Subscription-based models from major players like Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and PlayStation Now to name a few

However, delivering high-quality, low-latency gaming experiences to millions of users simultaneously is no small feat. It requires powerful GPUs… and lots of them.

THE GPU INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN THE CLOUD

To meet rising demand, data centres are investing heavily in GPU infrastructure. The data centre GPU market is expected to grow to $293.2 billion by 2034. These GPUs are essential for rendering complex graphics, running AI models, and supporting real-time game streaming.

WHY TRADITIONAL GPU SCALING FALLS SHORT

Simply adding more GPUs isn’t enough. Traditional setups often dedicate one GPU per user or application, an inefficient and expensive model. To maximise efficiency and reduce costs, data centres need to share GPU resources across multiple users and workloads.

THE ROLE OF GPU VIRTUALISATION

GPU virtualisation enables multiple users to share a single physical GPU, each within an isolated virtual environment. This drastically improves utilisation and cost-efficiency while maintaining security and performance.

At Imagination, our range of GPU IP for data centres and cloud gaming offers extreme performance and broad API support, including DirectX. Central to this is our hardware-based HyperLane technology, enabling up to sixteen virtual machines to access a single GPU simultaneously, each with:

  • Dedicated memory and interrupt lines
  • Independent workload queues
  • Quality of service and workload prioritisation mechanisms
  • Full isolation and fault containment

HOW HYPERLANE OPTIMISES CLOUD GAMING AT SCALE

This level of virtualisation means a single GPU can support multiple gamers at once, each enjoying a smooth, responsive experience. Not all gamers need the same performance: a casual mobile user has different requirements from a player running a AAA title in 4K. HyperLane allows data centres to dynamically allocate GPU resources based on demand, optimising utilisation and reducing latency.

As cloud gaming continues to grow, GPU virtualisation is essential for scaling securely and efficiently. It empowers data centres to deliver high-performance gaming to millions without inflating hardware budgets.

GAME-CHANGING EFFICIENCY IN THE DATA CENTRE

Cloud gaming is evolving, and GPU virtualisation is the key to scaling securely, efficiently, and affordably. With our hardware-based HyperLane technology, data centres can unlock true multi-tenant performance, protect against faults, and adapt dynamically to player needs.

Download our white paper on HyperLane and GPU Virtualisation to discover how Imagination’s data centre-ready GPUs are built for the future of cloud gaming.