Cloud gaming, also known as gaming on demand or gaming as a service, is a relatively new concept that allows players to stream games on their devices without the need for any expensive hardware.
The industry is still in its infancy, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we play games. Let’s check out what’s cloud gaming all about and how it can impact the future of the gaming world?
Advantages of Cloud Gaming
It’s almost impossible to keep up with the pace of technology, especially from a financial aspect. That’s where cloud gaming comes into place.
Cloud gaming eliminates the need for players to constantly update their hardware, making the gaming experience more convenient. In theory, it is possible to play the newest releases on a 15-years old laptop. All you need is a stable internet connection and a cloud subscription.
One of the main advantages of cloud gaming is accessibility. With the ability to play high-end games on lower-end devices, more people will be able to experience the latest games the industry has to offer.
Furthermore, cloud gaming allows for scalability, meaning that it can handle large numbers of players simultaneously, which is especially useful for multiplayer games.
Currently, there are a few major cloud gaming platforms available, such as Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now, Play Station Plus Premium, and Amazon Luna.
These platforms offer a variety of features and pricing options, and it’s important for consumers to research and compare them before making a decision.
Downsides of Cloud Gaming
Everything above seems shiny but it does not work that way in practice. There are also some challenges and limitations that come with cloud gaming. The most significant issue is latency, which is the delay between the player’s actions and the game’s response. This can be affected by internet speed and connection stability, which can be a problem in some areas, especially undeveloped countries.
The irony is, those countries that can benefit most from Cloud gaming, also can’t use it due to low internet speeds and high latencies. But who knows, maybe Elon’s Starlink project can fix that in the near future.
Additionally, the game selection on cloud gaming platforms is limited compared to traditional gaming platforms. Furthermore, cloud gaming is dependent on a stable internet connection, and if the connection is lost, the game will be interrupted.
Such a problem can be a big issue for FPS competitive games where ping plays a huge role. Your ping will be practically doubled because you have to add your ping to the cloud server and the cloud server’s ping to the game server, which will give you less time to respond.
So, at the moment, we do not recommend Cloud gaming for FPS competitive games. It is good for single-player and MOBA games that you can’t run on your own PC. For example, you can try high-end games such as Red Dead Redemption 2. Experience the game’s stunning graphics and seamless gameplay on devices that may not have the necessary hardware to run it locally. It is a single-player game and ping won’t be an issue as you can stream it in 60+FPS on any device.
On the other side, if you want to play online games, you can try MOBA games like Dota2 and LOL. Considering the fact that the average Cloud gaming ping is between 30ms and 60ms, you won’t have any problems. As long as your ping is below 70ms, you are good to go in every MOBA game. Therefore, you can play both Dota 2 and LOL on the highest details and experience the game at its finest without any lag.
Future of Cloud Gaming
Despite all the challenges cloud gaming may face, many experts believe that cloud gaming has a bright future. As technology improves and more people gain access to high-speed internet, the potential for cloud gaming to become mainstream increases.
Additionally, with the rise of 5G and edge computing, the latency issue may be mitigated, making the cloud gaming experience smoother.
Even without 5G, the development of more efficient compression algorithms will surely reduce the amount of bandwidth required for cloud gaming.
In the future, we can expect to see even more big players in the industry, joining the cloud gaming market, making it more competitive and thus, less expensive.
Final Thought
Cloud gaming is only just getting started, but it looks like it could revolutionize the way we play games! It’s convenient, accessible, and scalable, and could be the way of the future. Of course, there are still some obstacles to overcome and limitations to consider.
Consumers should do their research and consider their internet connection and game preferences before choosing a cloud gaming platform. Whatever the future holds, cloud gaming is an important and rapidly evolving topic that is worth keeping an eye on.
I'm a published author and proud US Army veteran who happens to be a gamer, so I decided to combine the two and love every minute of it! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments and I'll be sure to get back to you.
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