Malaysia has hosted the regional event six times. Kuala Lumpur was the host city for the SEAP Games in 1965 and 1971. It also organized the first Games after the renaming. SEA Games have come to Malaysia in 1977, 1989, 2001, and 2017. Their two hostings in the 21st century were also the two rare occasions they topped the overall medal standings. In 2027, Kuala Lumpur, along with the states of Johor, Penang, and Sarawak, will host the 34th SEA Games.

The Philippines will have to wait until 2033 to match Singapore's record. The nation first hosted the SEA Games in 1981, followed by three more times in 1991, 2005, and 2019. Notably, the 30th SEA Games was the first without a primary host city. 23 cities jointly organized 530 events across 56 different sports, the highest number to date.

Indonesia has also hosted the SEA Games four times. In 1979, 1987, 1997, and 2011, the Archipelago nation hosted the event, consistently finishing at the top of the overall medal standings. These hosting experiences helped Indonesia build its foundation of experience and infrastructure to organize the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.

Myanmar has hosted the Games three times. The first two times, the nation was still known as Burma. The capital, Rangoon, saw the host country top the medal standings in 1961 and 1969. However, decades of political instability delayed their next regional event until 2013.

Vietnam joined regional sports in 1989 and first hosted the SEA Games in 2003. Over 20 years later, the S-shaped nation overcame numerous challenges to host for the second time. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the 31st SEA Games to be postponed from late 2021 to summer 2022. Hanoi, along with 11 other provinces and cities, organized 40 different sports, welcoming nearly 5,500 athletes under pandemic pressure. This event also saw the Vietnamese sports delegation secure first place overall with 205 gold medals, the highest number in history.

Cambodia was initially slated to host the Games in 1963, but political instability, a border dispute with Thailand over the Preah Vihear temple, and conflicts with the International Athletics Federation caused the nation to lose the opportunity. It was not until 2023 that the Kingdom of Cambodia finally became a SEA Games host. Cambodia left its mark with an unprecedented scale for the Games. With only 37 sports, the 32nd SEA Games featured 580 sets of medals and 6,210 participating athletes. Alongside highlights of the host nation's generosity, the 2023 Southeast Asian Games also faced criticism regarding organization, refereeing, and Cambodia's rapid naturalization of athletes.

Laos was once offered the opportunity to host the third SEAP Games in place of Cambodia. However, financial constraints meant they had to wait until 2009 to organize the Games. With a budget of USD 80 million, the nation could only host the smallest SEA Games of the 21st century, featuring just 29 sports and 372 sets of medals. Limited facilities and a lack of coastline restricted their options. Laos hopes to create a more attractive and larger-scale event in 2031.

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the region, Brunei has shown little enthusiasm for sports, having hosted the SEA Games only once in 1999. Facility limitations and investment capital constraints meant Bandar Seri Begawan could only host 21 sports with 233 sets of medals. Subsequently, the nation was granted hosting rights for the 2019 Games but withdrew, citing "financial and logistical reasons."