Recently, cloud gaming has been on a roll: everyone is talking about the prospects of gaming in the cloud. The largest technological giants are vying with one another to launch the services. They are promising impressive speeds and the highest picture quality. Will we really abandon computers and consoles in the future? Together with Appslikethese, we have collected the best solutions and described their features and nuances.
What is cloud gaming?
Cloud gaming is a way to run computer games where they are opened on a remote server rather than on the user’s device. It works on a streaming model: the server streams audio and video to the gamer. The user controls the character from his device.
Cloud gamers do not need to spend money on expensive computer upgrades to meet the latest requirements of the gaming industry. The most demanding games can be launched with minimal delay from any device – even a TV. The cloud gaming market is expected to grow tenfold to $450 million by 2024.
Who can you connect to?
Companies have been trying to bring cloud gaming to the masses for a long time. Since the beginning of the 2000s, some creators have been developing in this area with varying success. Progress does not stand still, and today there are more and more cloud services. And here are the most famous of them in 2021.
Google Stadia
Incredibly cool and promising service from Google. Evolved from Project Stream, a streaming service with browser-based game launches.
What does Google Stadia offer? First of all, it is cross-platform. If you want, play on your laptop or on your TV. The main thing is an internet speed of 25 Mbit/s, the rest does not matter.
The cloud platform support custom joysticks, keyboards, and mice. Google fans who are not satisfied with a simple wireless gamepad from Logitech or Defender can buy a branded controller.
Especially for Stadia, AMD Corporation has developed new graphics processors. They operate at a computing power of 10.7 teraflops.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
A streaming service from a company that makes very good graphics cards. Like Google Stadia, it supports all hardware to which you can stream video. These are Windows computers, Macs, and Nvidia Shield portable consoles.
GeForce NOW not only has its own catalog with subscription games, but also the ability to connect to Steam, Origin, and Battle.net.
What do you need to play with GeForce NOW? Gamepad, 5 GHz Wi-Fi router, and at least 10 Mbps internet connection.
PlayStation Now
Streaming service from Sony is designed specifically for those users who like the games of the PlayStation line of consoles, but do not like the price of the console.
To get access to a collection of more than 650 games for PS4, you need to create an account. Then download the client, tie a dollar bank card to your profile, activate your subscription. If you are not ready to pay immediately, you can try the service for 7 free days.
The minimum requirements for the user – an Internet connection of 20 Mbits, a gamepad (preferably Dualshock 4), and a computer with an operating system no lower than Windows 8.1.
Project xCloud
Xbox and PS aren’t just competing offline. Three years after the launch of PlayStation Now, the guys from Microsoft decided to join the cloud race. And they presented their Project xCloud streaming service to the world.
Of course, it is universal: for PCs, tablets, smartphones, and televisions. Project xCloud is geared toward games from the Xbox platform. The collection already includes about 3,000 titles. Microsoft has promised that it will add a few thousand more.
Parsec
Universal service for streaming everything that can be streamed. With the Parsec client, you can play games, mount videos, run applications that overload RAM, and generally do everything you can think of.
The service is based on the Grid technology developed by the same NVIDIA corporation. The service itself is American, and the payment is by the hour. One hour of use costs 50-80 cents. If you play regularly, it will cost you $40 a month. Not cheap, but a stable 60 FPS, multiplayer mode (even in single-player games), and huge opportunities for customization are worth it.
Conclusion
So will cloud gaming be the future of the gaming industry? It is too early to say for sure, but large corporations are actively working in this area proving their confidence in the technology.
Is it worth selling the gaming PC and going completely to the cloud? Definitely not right now.
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