For the first time, they started talking about games in the cloud 20 years ago at the E3 exhibition. Then the company G-Cluster presented its technology, which provided the ability to run video games on a remote machine from portable devices using Wi-Fi. At first glance, everything looked cool, but the technology did not receive further development until the first attempts in a new field began to be made by the guys from Crytek in 2005. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for them either, and then, almost every 5 years, various companies tried to make cloud gaming a reality and let it go to the masses.
This is how OnLive appeared , then PlayStation Now , then Geforce Now , and soon a bunch of other lesser-known services. The next step Stadia from Google, which initially looked quite interesting, but with the advent of new information about the service, it seems like another failure in the field of cloud gaming. Today, almost everyone can use game streaming, and this option is not without its advantages, but at the same time it has its drawbacks.
In this article, we decided to collect 5 main pros and cons of cloud gaming that will help you decide once and for all whether you should try it or not.
Pros-No more buying of new hardware
Perhaps the biggest advantage of cloud gaming is that players no longer have to constantly upgrade their hardware. Even if you play on consoles, there is no need to spend money on the next generation with streaming games. Remote computers with huge power ratios run games themselves and display them on the user's screen in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.
In addition, most cloud services allow you to play from any device that has a screen. You can launch games from anything, which eliminates the need to constantly spend money on expensive equipment.
Cons-With 4K it's not so simple
Recently, the creators of streaming gaming have been assuring players that their services can offer 4K resolution and 60 FPS. They even describe in detail their equipment, on which the games will be launched, so that everyone is convinced that an amazing picture will still be delivered, and it will not even lag, but the developers of such services do not finish talking about something.
The fact is that cloud gaming involves the use of almost any hardware to run games in the cloud. Nevertheless, firstly, not every device supports 4K, and secondly, even if there is support, due to low power indicators, playback can pump up. The creators of cloud gaming have a solution - you can reduce the resolution settings through the streaming client and play peacefully. True, in such a situation, you can forget about 4K, despite the fact that you will still pay for it. That is, hardware matters, and the disadvantage of this technology is that it will still not work to run a cool AAA title in 4K on a calculator.
Pros-Sit down and play
Another advantage of cloud gaming is that you don't need to install games. Nowadays, many games weigh 50-100 GB, and even if you have a very high Internet speed, you still have to wait for all this to load. Then you will need to spend more time on installation. On consoles, this is easier, because the game starts to install in parallel with the download, but this does not particularly affect the time spent.
Cloud gaming allows you to launch a service client, select your favorite game and launch it right away. It is unnecessary to wait for the download of the game, its installation and while additional software is installed.
Cons-Delay in games
As a rule, the creators of game streaming services talk only about the benefits and completely forget about the latency. Ping is present even with a high-quality Internet connection, and you probably understand this. At the same time, even a minimal delay can negatively affect the gameplay.
Of course, you can close your eyes to a delay of even 20 ms when it comes to a single game. You, most likely, will not notice it there, because it is negligible. However, when it comes to multiplayer games, especially first person shooters, even 20ms can play a cruel joke on you. Pro gamers have long found themselves honing their skills 24v7 and doing it at an acceptable frame rate. Any delay can affect the result, so if you are going to play multiplayer games through cloud services at a serious level, then it is better to think carefully and refrain from this option.
Pros-Can be played anywhere
Back to the fact that the creators of cloud services offer to run games on any device. That is, it can be either a powerful gaming PC that you have at home, or an old laptop that you take with you on a journey purely for surfing the Internet.
If you believe most of the services that offer cloud gaming, then even AAA titles you can run on an old laptop if you have an Internet connection at 25 Mbps. Today, for most, this is a standard indicator, so you will definitely have everything you need to start playing the game at home and finish it while traveling.
Pros-Streaming is not cheap
In fact, the prices are different, and it all depends on the package chosen, and sometimes there are quite a few of them, so to speak, for every taste and color. And yet, the amount of money spent in 2-3 years of subscription on almost any cloud service existing today is equivalent to the amount of a fairly powerful gaming PC.
At the same time, do not forget that if the cloud service offers only one package with guaranteed 4K, and you do not have a device with its support, then you overpay. Today, cloud gaming is only suitable for those who need 24v7 games like air. At the same time, such guys have already bought themselves cool computers and all kinds of consoles for a long time so that they can comfortably play whatever they want.
Pros-No more platforms
A very serious advantage of cloud gaming over other ways to plunge into the world of video games is the lack of platforms. So you no longer need to decide whether to buy a console or a PC? And if you choose only consoles, you can forget about the eternal dilemma, who should you bring your money to - Sony or Microsoft ?
On the one hand, this is the strength of streaming games because you just pay for a subscription and play whatever you want. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to find console exclusives on such platforms. The ideal version of PlayStation Now, which we still really run only after dancing with a tambourine, where there are a bunch of games and there are no only Microsoft exclusives. But, most likely, you will survive the absence of 2-3 good games.
Cons-You have to pay for fast internet
Streaming games with cloud gaming is definitely not a story for those who pay for the lowest internet connection to their ISP because there is enough to watch dumb YouTube videos. All cloud gaming is based on high speed Internet, and today, to play comfortably without lags, you need at least 25 Mbps.
Over time, the owners of cloud services will start asking users to set up a faster Internet connection, because the drawing of a cool graphonium and latency directly depend on this. If you have a bad Internet, then you will definitely not be able to play AAA projects with it, and even if you take the risk, you will remember this experience for a long time.
Pros-Can be played on phone and tablet
In fact, this is one of the most interesting features of today's streaming services. The ability to run, for example, the last parts of Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed on a smartphone or tablet is definitely surprising. If you do not have a laptop, but still want to play on the road, then this is easy to do using a mobile device, just do not forget to bring a gamepad with you.
In addition, the owners of cloud services claim that the latest games will run smoothly without lags on mobile devices. The fact is that a smartphone and a tablet in such a situation are just a screen, and you do not need to have large capacities to play games demanding on hardware.
Cons-End of piracy
This disadvantage is especially for those who still like to look into the "Pirate Bay" and hang a repack of some novelty from there. If you are a beggar, greedy, or are still afraid to tie your credit card in online stores, then you can forget about video games. With the advent of cloud gaming to the masses, all projects will be published there, and pirates simply will not be able to download the game in any way.
Now please breathe out and calm down. Inhale, exhale... inhale, exhale. If you have already come to your senses, then we can continue. The death of piracy is only possible if cloud gaming becomes mainstream in the gaming industry. Since for 20 years no one has been able to create even a more or less high-quality service that would make it possible to play in the cloud comfortably, then you can forget about such an alignment of events for now.
This concludes our analysis of the pros and cons of cloud gaming. How do you feel about such services and do you play in the cloud at all? Share your opinion on this in the comments!
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