What Is Cloud Gaming and Should You Care About It?

Cloud gaming has quickly become one of the most interesting gaming developments that we’ve seen for a long time. The idea of being able to game wherever you are and on any device is enticing, if not without its limitations. It’s been tried before in the past with services like OnLive that promised games on demand. But thanks to modern technological advances and improvements in internet speeds, cloud gaming has become an increasingly enticing prospect for many people around the world.

So in this post, we’re going to explain what cloud gaming is and also discuss if you should bother investing in it.

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What exactly is cloud gaming?

The media describes cloud gaming in many different ways, but the technical term would be gaming as a service. The game runs on a remote server that you don’t own, but instead, you pay for the privilege of using. Some practical applications of this include buying a cheap computer but playing triple-A titles that would otherwise require you to have powerful hardware. Since the specification of your computer no longer matters, it also means you can play on a laptop, tablet or even a smartphone as long as it’s compatible.

That sounds great, but how exactly does this work? Surely there has to be a tradeoff?

Cloud gaming works by taking the inputs on your device and passing them to the remote computer while you’re provided with a constant video feed of the game. In other words, you’re essentially watching a video and the buttons you press are being sent to a computer potentially hundreds of miles away.

This introduces a couple of issues that are important to discuss.

What problems might you have with cloud gaming?

First, let’s take a look at why cloud gaming might not be for everyone especially if you already own lots of games.

• Cloud gaming requires that you have a strong internet connection. In most cases, this means that you’re going to need a fairly strong and stable internet connection in order to get the most from cloud gaming. This means that WiFi and 4G might not cut it depending on your circumstances, making it difficult to take full advantage of cloud gaming as a mobile user. The exception to this is if you have a strong WiFi connection at home paired with a fast and stable internet connection.

• In most cases, cloud services operate separately to your existing game library which means you need to purchase a game again. For instance, Google’s Stadia service requires you to purchase games specifically for the streaming platform. This has several implications, such as not actually owning the game unless you play on the Stadia platform and not being able to play the game locally on your PC if you don’t have a connection. Some cloud services, such as Nvidia’s GeForce Cloud Gaming service, actually give you access to a complete virtual PC, meaning you can access your existing games on platforms such as Steam and Origin.

• Cloud gaming introduces a bit of delay to your games. One of the biggest deal breakers in cloud gaming is the delay. Even in a best-case scenario where you have a fast internet connection and are physically close to the server that you’re playing off, you’ll still notice a bit of delay because it takes time for your inputs to travel across the internet. For fast-paced games such as first-person shooters and action titles, you’re going to notice a bit of delay which can hurt competitive play and also make the experience less than ideal. However, for turn-based games where quick reactions aren’t necessary, this isn’t actually a big deal.

• You have a lot less customisation depending on the game you’re playing. Modding is one of the best ways to extend the life of a game. Whether it’s playing fan-made levels or prettying up an old game with texture upgrades, there are lots of moddable PC games that are extremely popular even today. However, with cloud gaming, you won’t get access to the files of a game which means it can severely limit modding capabilities. In other words, you’ll have a less customisable experience which can often ruin the experience.

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Despite certain flaws, it’s still going to be one of the biggest things in gaming

But now let’s take a look at some of the reasons that you should get into cloud gaming and why it’s going to become one of the next big things in gaming.

For starters, we need to explain the intended audience of cloud gaming. It’s not for hardcore gamers, it’s not for purists and it’s not for retro gaming enthusiasts. In fact, cloud gaming isn’t going to win over people that are already gaming. For starters, they’ve already built up a relatively large library of games and the prospect of re-buying everything is a daunting one.

Where cloud gaming really shines is its convenience. Imagine being able to play a new game without having to wait for a download, or being able to try multiple games before choosing to buy one. It’s also a great way for you to play certain types of games on-the-go, especially if they’re not very demanding in terms of reaction speed. You can also use cloud gaming to introduce friends to gaming, especially if they don’t have powerful computers or if they’re not sure if they want to invest in gaming hardware. It goes without saying that cloud gaming has the potential to become the future of online gaming for most casual players, and its convenience might be an affordable add-on service for existing gamers that want to enjoy certain types of games when they’re away from home.

Cloud gaming is also supported by consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and will likely be introduced into next-generation consoles. As of now, PlayStation Now offers a massive library of PS2, PS3 and PS4 games which are ready to play without needing to download them. This is accessible for an affordable monthly or yearly fee and is a lot more economical as opposed to buying every game that you want to play.

So to conclude, let’s take a look at why you’d definitely want to keep an eye on cloud gaming;

• Cloud gaming is a more affordable option for playing the latest games because you don’t need a very powerful computer.
• Some services, such as PlayStation Now, are also more cost-effective since it gives you access to a huge library of games for a low monthly subscription.
• Many cloud gaming flaws can be fixed in the future with fastest internet infrastructure and better video compression techniques.
• It’s an incredibly convenient way to play games since you don’t need to download anything and you can boot up a game almost instantly on gaming-grade hardware.
• There’s no need to maintain games with regular updates and you don’t need to worry about computer problems.
• You also don’t need to worry about upgrading your computer in the future to play the latest games on high settings.
• You can even play on mobile devices such as tablets and phones depending on the cloud gaming service you use.

At the end of the day, cloud gaming isn’t going to replace traditional gaming on consoles or computers. Instead, it’s going to be an ultra-convenient way to try out games, and it can be a great add-on service for gamers that want to enjoy its benefits without giving up their existing consoles and gaming computers.