Over the last decade, cloud gaming has been a buzzword in the video game industry, and slowly it is fast gaining popularity. With the launch of Google Stadia and GeForce, cloud gaming (or game streaming) is all set to take over a large chunk of the gaming industry.
Giants like Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Walmart etc. are said to be testing new technology that is expected to change the video gaming industry completely. Companies like Google and Microsoft have already announced their gaming ventures while the others are still experimenting. However, each company is known to be working towards a technology where discs, consoles won’t be required to play games, games will be streamed online through the internet just like watching your favorite show or movie on Netflix.
This technology is called cloud gaming and businesses have been working on it over the last decade to introduce the world to a new avenue for video gaming.
What is Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming involves the use of cloud servers instead of local devices like game consoles to play the games. Cloud gaming aims to offer high-end gaming experiences at less cost.
Today if you want to play a Video game you use a disc and game console or you download the compressed pc games torrent files onto a drive. The performance of the game is dependent on the processors inside the box. In cloud gaming, the box is located in a data center miles away. The user can stream the games just like streaming a YouTube Video or Netflix movie. The games are in the form of compressed video frames that will react to your inputs. Each time a button is pressed by the user to move a character that input signal is sent to the remote server telling the game what has to be done. The server sends a new video frame on the screen that shows the result.
The 2 key advantages of cloud gaming are that the users don’t have to invest in buying new hardware to run the latest games and that the users can play any game they want on any device with a screen and an internet connection.
How does cloud gaming work?
In cloud gaming, powerful servers are used for running games through a virtual machine. The video streaming of the game is compressed and provided to the user over the internet. The control inputs provided by the user is sent to the server which are then processed and sent back on the screen in real time.
At the crux, the operation of cloud gaming is very similar to any streaming service like Netflix or YouTube. The biggest challenge in cloud gaming is the latency aspect. Since a controller is used for sending inputs to a server over the internet, which then resends the result back, there are high chances of experiencing some input lag while gaming through the cloud.
A slight delay while watching a video on a live streaming app may go unnoticed, however, while playing a video game the inputs and results need to feel like they are happening in real time. Input lag is one of the key issues for online competitive games, as winning and losing in such games is often decided in tenths or hundredths of a second. To become a standard in online gaming, cloud gaming will need to work on eradicating or reducing the input lag.
Who are the front runners of Cloud Gaming?
The top 3 front runners of cloud gaming are:
Google Stadia is the biggest name in the world of cloud gaming. It is a game console in the cloud. It was launched in late 2019 in a limited capacity. Though the service is free, users are required to pay for the games. The $130 Premiere Edition includes a Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra, three months of Stadia Pro subscription and two buddy passes offering three months of service to a friend.
Stadia Pro is available at $9.99 a month. As long as you are a subscriber, every month one or two games will be unlocked for play. Presently users can purchase from over 30 titles that are available on the platform. More than 100 titles are expected to be released this year. Google Stadia is compatible with PC, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks, TVs via Chromecast Ultra, and select Android devices.
- GeForce Now
GeForce Now works differently than Google Stadia. Instead of having a game console in the cloud, with GeForce Now, users can play games that they already own on PC gaming platforms like Steam, the Epic Games Store etc. Users can play for an hour at a time with the games they already own without having to pay any fees. However, they may be required to queue up to play.
The play sessions are limited to an hour but one can start another session immediately. With the $5 per month paid tier users can immediately access the game and can play for a six-hour session at length.
GeForce Now is available on Windows, Mac, Android TV, Android, Safari, and iOS, with a Chrome browser version currently in beta.
- Vortex
With cloud gaming service Vortex users can select from a large library of PC games, and stream them on any device connected to the internet, just for $9.99 a month. The users can play the games they like but there is a limit of only 50 hours of gameplay a month under the basic plan. The ultra-plan is available for $28 a month with140 hours of gameplay a month. Android and Windows have apps for Vortex. It can also be streamed through Chrome browsers.
