There’s a new way to play and it is called Cloud gaming. Cloud gaming is beginning to change the way we perceive the industry and most importantly, how we play. But what is cloud gaming? How does it work and why isn’t it talked about enough?
Informally known as “playing a game remotely from the cloud,” cloud gaming is a category of online gaming that broadcasts video games directly to a user’s device via remote servers. It is also known as gaming on demand or game streaming. It differs from conventional gaming methods where a user’s video game console, personal computer, or mobile device runs a game locally. With cloud gaming, gamers can now stream a game to any display rather than purchasing a console and a disc. It involves the practice of playing video games on distant servers located in data centers. On a PC or console, there is no need to download and install games. Instead, streaming services use an installed app or browser on the receiver device to convey gaming data, which needs a steady internet connection. Despite seeing and interacting with everything locally on your device, the game is rendered and played on a remote server.
How does it work?
In most cases, cloud gaming involves a monthly or annual subscription fee to access the content. With some providers, further game purchases are necessary. Instead of downloading and installing a game on your console or PC, cloud gaming relies on remote servers in data centers to run the game and stream it over the internet, directly to your desired device. There would be no need for cables, extra storage space and it completely eliminates the waiting time for games to install. The lack of the need to buy pricey computer hardware or install games directly into a local game system makes cloud gaming appealing. A variety of computing platforms, including mobile ones like smartphones and tablets, digital media players, and proprietary thin client-type devices, can support cloud gaming. A spectator may be able to join a player’s session and momentarily take over the game as certain sites provide additional capabilities to capitalize on this concept. Additionally, the costs of cloud gaming are now borne by the data servers that power the services rather than by traditional distribution channels like brick-and-mortar stores and online storefronts. Unlike traditional distribution, new cost structures are needed to meet these operating costs.
Why is it becoming more popular?
Cloud gaming has been around for a very long time. It has been available since the early 2000 but the problem was that technology was not up to par to support the very demanding requirements of cloud gaming. The biggest issue that’s held cloud gaming back is infrastructure. OnLive, which debuted in June 2010, was the first significant cloud gaming service. Like Google Stadia currently, it made use of a tiny game streaming “micro” console and a unique controller. It was also compatible with Android tablets and smartphones, the first Shield from Nvidia, Windows and Mac OS via a browser, and more.
Another issue that held it back was financial constraints. Most of the cloud gaming services then did not have enough money to facilitate such undertaking. Now, Several of the top tech companies in the world have invested in cloud gaming, making it possible for it to run with lower latency, faster frame rates, and easier setup. Since Stadia and GeForce Now have mastered the fundamentals of performance, they can promote the cloud gaming industry’s more useful advantages.
Basically what a gamer needs for cloud gaming is a high-speed internet connection, a compatible controller or mouse and keyboard, and video streaming devices like a tablet, laptop, or smart TV
CLOUD GAMING SERVICES
Cloud gaming is relatively old, therefore it had enough time to evolve. There are plenty cloud gaming services available, and they include:.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox online Gaming is Microsoft's Xbox online gaming service. The program was first made available for beta testing in November 2019 before being made available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate customers on September 15, 2020. The Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming service is free for Ultimate subscribers.
Playstation Premium
This is a revamped version of Sony's subscription service, which is turning into more of a Netflix-style service providing access to hundreds of games for a flat monthly fee. The service supports all PlayStation consoles, including the original PS1 and the PS5, as well as the PSP and, thanks to streaming, the PS3.
Luna
Luna provides a carefully curated selection of games that can be played on the move, on the couch, or wherever else you have an internet connection. Amazon Luna debuted in the United States in 2022.
Geforce Now
This is the Nvidia’s cloud gaming service. The Nvidia Shield version of GeForce Now, formerly known as Nvidia Grid, went into beta in 2013, with Nvidia formally revealing its identity on September 30, 2015.
Google Stadia
Stadia was a cloud gaming service developed and operated by Google. The program, known internally as Project Stream, debuted in a closed test in October 2018 and went live in November 2019. The service was supposed to compete with Sony’s PlayStation Plus cloud streaming, Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Amazon’s Luna, and Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming. Reviewers initially gave Stadia a mixed reaction, with most focusing on its small game catalogue and absence of promised features. Google had planned to develop in-house games in addition to hosting third-party games before it shut down its studios in February 2021. The service continued to sell third-party games, and Google marketed the game-streaming technology as a white-label product. The service was shut down this January as it received bad review for a number of reasons.
Above all, cloud gaming is practical. No matter what screen or hardware you have, you can play because it is cross-platform. Moving forward, this will probably be the component of cloud gaming that matters the most. The future of the gaming industry is cloud gaming.