Demystifying Cloud Gaming: The evolution of cloud gaming has been difficult for well over a decade, despite technological advancements. The increased availability of high-speed internet has made cloud gaming a more viable option for playing the latest games without purchasing an expensive console or PC system. It makes gaming more accessible at a time when money is tight for many households, provided you have a strong internet connection.
How does cloud gaming function, what are the requirements, and what services offer cloud gaming? Let’s review the fundamentals, including how much you can expect to pay to use a cloud gaming platform and what they do and do not provide.
How do cloud-based games work?
Cloud gaming can function differently depending on the platform, but essentially, it enables you to play a game that is being streamed over the internet as opposed to hardware connected to your television. In its purest form, you can launch an app or browser and begin playing a game without having to install it first.
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The games you’re playing are powered by remote servers operating on the equivalent of a high-end PC, which are then streamed directly to whatever device or screen you’re using.
Which devices support remote gaming?
Cloud gaming compatibility varies between services. Some require the installation of an app on the supported platform. As long as your device is capable of opening a web browser, you can also stream games from web pages.
As cloud gaming is accessible on smartphones, some services have incorporated virtual touch controllers, but you can also connect a gaming controller via Bluetooth or one of the numerous specialised mobile gaming controllers.
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A few Android-based handheld devices, such as the Logitech G Cloud, Razer Edge, and the Abxylute, were recently released with cloud gaming in mind.
Some services are platform-specific. The Nintendo Switch has released a number of cloud versions of games deemed too potent to be natively ported to the console. Additionally, select PlayStation titles can be streamed on PS4, PS5, and PC via the redesigned PlayStation Plus service.
What are the disadvantages?
- Using an Xbox controller for gaming. Photographer: Sam Pak on Unsplash
- Input latency, the delay between pressing a button on the controller and seeing its effect on the screen, is a common issue with online gaming. Lag can still occur when using a wireless controller on a console, but the issue is exacerbated when streaming a complex game over the internet. This is very different from simply streaming a movie or song, which is non-interactive and unpredictably delivered.
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In fast-paced competitive games like first-person shooters and fighting games, one frame can make all the difference. This renders these games unsuitable for streaming.
Streaming a game from the cloud also necessitates significantly more bandwidth than streaming movies or music, with the required bandwidth increasing with the resolution. If you do not have reliable 5G service or are using a public Wi-Fi connection, this can make streaming on the go less than ideal. Consequently, while the ability to play games anywhere in your home or with a wired Ethernet connection is a common selling point of cloud gaming, some users may find the ability to play games on the go to be preferable.
Even if you have a Gigabit internet connection, there is no way to prevent potential issues with cloud gaming on the provider’s end, so you may still experience lag or a resolution that is less than ideal, with image distortion.
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Depending on the service, a disadvantage of purchasing a cloud game is that you do not actually own it, so if the platform were to shut down its servers, you would lose access to the game. This was the situation with Google Stadia, though Google did offer refunds to all customers.
How much do cloud-based games cost?
The cost of cloud-based gaming differs between services. Some offer a Netflix-for-games model in which your subscription grants you access to a large library of free-to-play games. The library may change frequently, with new games being added and others being removed.
Some services allow you to bring your own PC games, effectively allowing you to rent a high-end PC in the cloud. Then there are services that require you to purchase the game prior to streaming it via the cloud platform.
Monthly subscriptions can be purchased for as little as $9/£9 per month and as much as $30/£30 per month, with various tiers offering different features, and you can save money with quarterly or annual plans.
The top gaming subscription services in the cloud
Ultimate Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming Xbox logo
Xbox Game Pass is an excellent bargain for the majority of gamers due to its library of over 100 games, which includes the newest titles from both first-party and third-party developers. This is especially true when you consider that the majority of these games can also be played via Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is technically still in beta despite launching in 2021.
Its games can be streamed via a web browser, which is capable of 1080p resolution and 60 FPS, and is compatible with Xbox consoles (including Xbox One, so you can play Series X/S games on your old console), PC, and mobile devices.
However, there is presently a disadvantage with mobile devices, as the video compression makes the resolution appear much lower than the advertised 1080p. Since then, however, other platforms have received a clarity boost to enhance picture quality.
Cloud gaming is only available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, who pay $14.99/£10.00 per month. The vast majority of games support cloud gaming, and some offer virtual touch controls; however, you’ll need to verify each individual game individually.
Xbox Cloud gaming requires a minimum download bandwidth of 10Mbps using WiFi or 4G data, though 5Ghz Wi-Fi is recommended and some devices may require 20Mbps for the best quality.
PlayStation Premium Plus
PlayStation’s cloud gaming offerings are more limited than those of competitors, being accessible only on PS5, PS4, and PC, with its streamable catalogue containing only select older titles from PS1 to PS4 (all PS3 games are stream-only), although Sony has future plans to add PS5 games.
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Nonetheless, with over 300 titles available, including the back catalogues of major franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, and Yakuza, it’s a veritable treasure trove for PlayStation fans, despite the fact that running these games on console is significantly smoother than via the clumsy PC app.
Its streaming requirements are lower than those of other services, requiring a minimum download bandwidth of 5 Mbps. Having experimented with a wired connection on PS5, I can say that not only do the visuals appear nearly identical to native play, but you also save install capacity on your console.
Accessing cloud gaming requires joining PlayStation Plus Premium, which costs $18/£13.49 per month; however, to save the most money, you should opt for a quarterly membership for $50/£40 or an annual membership for $120/£100.
Amazon Luna
Amazon Luna’s library of approximately 100 games from a variety of publishers is comparable to that of Xbox, but it does not include day-one releases, so it may not be as impressive. Although not all games necessarily support 60FPS, the mobile streaming quality, which is also managed via a web browser, is at least excellent.
It is however more affordable, with monthly subscriptions beginning at $9/£10. Members of Amazon Prime can also sample the available titles at no additional cost. These Prime titles are limited to four games that rotate each month, but the selection is typically well-balanced among blockbuster, indie, casual, and vintage games.
Amazon has partnered with Ubisoft’s own subscription service Ubisoft+ as the exclusive platform for streaming Ubisoft titles, including day-one releases, for an additional $18/£15 per month. It’s also partnered with Epic Games, which means you can presently play Fortnite on the cloud, if you don’t already have it on every conceivable device (though saving storage space and having a version that runs better than your old smartphone is still an attractive feature).
Amazon Luna is compatible with web browsers on desktop computers, mobile devices, and tablets, as well as Amazon’s own Fire devices and certain Samsung Smart TVs. For 1080p resolution, a minimum and sustained download speed of 10 Mbps is required.
GeForce Now GeForce: Gaming in the Cloud
Nvidia’s cloud gaming service does not offer games, but rather the means to play PC games for a limited period on a virtual rig with RTX ray tracing while bringing your own games to the platform. Although there is a free tier, a paid subscription is necessary to access its full functionality.
Priority costs $10/£9 per month or $50/£45 for six months, granting you access to a premium RTX rig capable of running games at 1080p and 60FPS, as well as priority access to premium servers for up to six-hour gaming sessions.
Ultimate costs $20/£18 per month, or $100/£90 for six months, and gives you access to an RTX 3080 machine (upgradable to an RTX 4080 when available), allowing you to play games at maximum settings, including 4K resolution and 120FPS, for up to eight hours at a time.
GeForce Now is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, NVidia Shield, select LG and Samsung Smart TVs, as well as Chrome and Safari web browsers, allowing it to operate on iOS. The minimum download speed is significantly faster than other services, and it increases based on the desired quality. For example, 720p at 60FPS requires at least 15Mbps, while 1080p at 60FPS requires at least 25 Mps. For Ultimate subscribers who desire 4K at 120 FPS, a minimum of 45 Mbps is required, and a wired connection is recommended. Additionally, you must have less than 80ms latency to an Nvidia data centre.
You can compare it to renting a very high-end PC to play the newest games at the best settings, despite the fact that it is quite expensive and you must bring your own games, which makes it less appealing for a casual gamer who just wants to jump into a game from an available library immediately.
However, you cannot play every game you possess. GeForce Now is compatible with over 1,500 games, so if you’re planning to play the most popular titles, you should be fine. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not precisely like renting a PC that you have complete control over.
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Shadow PC Shadow: Cloud gaming
Shadow is the most expensive cloud gaming option available, with prices ranging from $30/£33 per month for its standard membership to $45/£50 per month for its Power Upgrade option. However, this is because you’re not just paying for a cloud gaming platform, but rather an unrestricted cloud PC that you can use for anything.
You can effectively transform your standard work laptop into a high-end gaming PC, as well as access it on portable devices like your phone or the Logitech G Cloud. Currently, it is accessed via an app, but the company will shortly allow European users to access their cloud PC through a web browser.
While the standard only has graphics equivalent to a GTX 1080, that’s sufficient for most PC gaming if you’re not interested in extreme settings. If you want graphics equivalent to an RTX 3070, you’ll need the Power Upgrade subscription.
In contrast to GeForce, there are no restrictions on which games you can play. Currently in beta, Shadow is introducing a drag-and-drop system that will make it simple for PC users to migrate files to their cloud PC. Even other cloud gaming services can be streamed, and if you play Xbox Game Pass games this way on mobile devices, the video quality is actually higher.
Shadow does not have the same instantaneous feature as other cloud gaming services because you must still install your games to your cloud PC, which has a storage limit of 512GB and can be expanded to 2TB for an additional fee.
Atypical cloud gaming
This Spain-based company is one of the newest cloud gaming services on the market, so new that you must sign up for a waiting list before you can join their servers.
Once logged in, however, Nware enables you to play the most recent high-end games via its cloud platform on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android via a dedicated app or web browser. There is even a complimentary trial, albeit for only three days.
Similar to GeForce now, you pay a subscription fee beginning at €8.99 to use the service and then sync your game library from launchers like Steam, Epic Games, and Ubisoft. Even though it supports more than 20,000 titles, it is not an unrestricted cloud PC service like Shadow. You’ll be able to stream 1080p content at up to 60 frames per second, but don’t expect as high-end results as with Nvidia’s service.
A premium option is also available for €10.99 per month or €99.99 per year, which allows you to play games directly through launchers and provides storage space to install games freely.
