The first rumors about the possible emergence of a technology that would free players from the need to own a powerful gaming device and thereby redefine the basic principle of gameplay have been leaking in the gaming media for quite some time.
Nevertheless, it took more than 10 years for big IT giants and ambitious small companies to practice it before the first working services appeared on the game industry market. Services that provide cloud gaming services. It is worth noting that you need the best operating system for gaming PC to use this technology!
In this article, we are going to review how this technology works and to answer the main question for owners of weak PC’s: how to experience cloud gaming of the future now?
All about Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is an interactive streaming service that streams a game image without any loss of performance. In other words, all the resource-intensive computational tasks required for the devices to play comfortably are performed by third-party hardware, while the gamer is able to control the “picture” in real time.
How Cloud Gaming Works
This approach significantly extends the list of relevant devices for gameplay and allows to forget about the problems of discrepancies between the system requirements of AAA-projects and low-powered PC players forever. The only condition for a comfortable game via the “cloud” is a stable broadband Internet connection.
With high-speed internet you can play any game with any multimedia device without lags and frustration on ultra graphics settings.
So which cloud gaming service should be preferred in 2022? Let’s find out.
PLAYSTATION NOW
PlayStation Now is a promising project from Sony, designed to erase the boundaries between console and PC-gaming.
The main advantage of PlayStation Now compared to similar services for cloud gameplay is the ability to play console exclusives PS2, PS3 or PS4. At the same time, the project’s existing library of 800+ games is constantly expanding, so there will be no problems with the lack of AAA titles.
When the time-consuming process of registration and subscription is behind, you will only have to install the official application PlayStation Now on your PC and get a compatible gamepad.
XBOX CLOUD GAMING
Xbox Cloud Gaming is not so much a full-fledged service for cloud gaming, but rather a nice addition to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. It’s the one that allows you to play hundreds of AAA projects from Microsoft and its partners virtually on release for a flat monthly fee.
The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is priced at $14.99 per month.
Coupled with the service working in browsers on systems running Windows and MacOS, as well as through applications on PC, Android, and iOS this offer may seem quite profitable, but it is worth considering the need to use a VPN and compatible gamepads.
Google Stadia
Google Stadia is not just a cloud service for remote launch of games from popular libraries, but a full-fledged cloud platform based on Linux kernel that requires developers to port their projects to its unique architecture. Moreover, the CIS countries are not included in the list of officially supported regions of Google Stadia, which almost negates its few advantages.
Also the cloud console has exclusive features that add a number of interactive features. For example, a special mode for streamers allows them to interact with the audience during live broadcasts on YouTube.
AMAZON LUNA
Amazon Luna is a new move by the world’s largest e-commerce company to carve out a niche in the gaming entertainment market. The service is currently in early access, so it is only available in the mainland United States.
Regionally eligible users can choose a subscription from three options. The standard package will cost $5.99.
However, an updated library of gaming innovations, a large list of supported platforms, and interactive integration with Twitch along with a personal gamepad seem to be very questionable advantages against the inaccessibility of the service in the rest of the world.
