Modern video games are nothing like the early days of Nintendo and Sega. The industry has grown to immense proportions. Game design studios like Ubisoft and Bethesda spend hundreds of millions in creating games with great visuals, outstanding storylines, and intense gameplay. These are just a few of the reasons why franchises like Assassins Creed and Fallout have been so successful. However, by their very nature, these games exclude low-end PCs and older consoles. This essentially bars many serious gamers who quite simply can’t afford better hardware. However, in the early 2010s, a solution to the problem emerged in the shape of cloud gaming.
What Is Cloud Gaming?
Most modern games that you buy online usually exceed 100 GBs in size. That means you need a lot of space on your computer or console to play them. That’s not to mention that unless you have Cox Gigablast internet speeds, you’ll have a long wait before you can even play the game. Of course, most high-end games demand high-end hardware. So you’ll probably have to invest in a current gaming console like a PlayStation or an Xbox. Or, if you’re a gaming snob, you’ll want to invest in a high-end gaming PC, with all the bells and whistles. All in all, you’ll likely have to spend a lot of time and money before you can play your games.
Consider, for a moment, that you didn’t have to do any of the above. All you do is buy the game, and you can play it. You don’t need a high-end, space-age PC. You don’t need the latest edition of the PlayStation 5. You don’t even need to clear space on your hard disk. All you need is a stable internet connection, and you’re ready to play anywhere at any time. Cloud gaming makes all of the above possible. Using advancements in internet speeds and cloud technology, you can now play many popular gaming titles even if your hardware is not enough to support them. So Nerdy will give you many more options.
How Does Cloud Gaming Work?
Cloud gaming, like any other form of cloud-based technology, makes use of remote hardware. In this case, the remote hardware is usually servers owned by a separate company or game publisher. But this in itself sounds deceptively simple. In the early days of cloud gaming, latency issues prevented it from becoming mainstream. However, thanks to massive developments in cloud computing and internet infrastructure, latency issues are a thing of the past.
When using cloud gaming servers, you don’t have to download a game onto your PC or console. You don’t have to buy a disc to play locally. In other words, your internal hardware specifications are irrelevant. You can run the latest titles with no restrictions on just about any device. All your game data, save files, and progress are stored on the cloud, not locally on your system. All you need is a reliable internet connection to deliver game streaming on your device.
Popular Cloud Gaming Platforms
Most cloud gaming platforms require either a monthly or a yearly subscription. Some platforms will also require you to buy the games you want to play, on top of your subscription fee. Here are a few of the more popular cloud gaming platforms that are already making waves in the industry:
- Gaming tech leader GeForce has its own game streaming platform called GeForce Now. The platform allows you to buy games from other publishers like Battle.net or Steam. This leaves you with the option of downloading and storing your games locally if you ever upgrade your hardware.
- Shadow is a game streaming platform that makes use of very high-end remote PCs. When you subscribe to the service, you can start playing games at once, using one of these remote PCs. IN essence, you are subscribing to a remote PC rental.
- Project xCloud is Microsoft’s ambitious effort to raise the cloud gaming bar. Like Shadow, Project xCloud also makes use of remote hardware. But unlike Shadow, the platform does not use standard PCs. Instead, it uses high-tech “blades” consisting of very high-end components. Users make use of various components for their cloud-gaming experience.
Is Cloud Gaming For You?
Do you own a high-end gaming PC or console? Do you have no reservations about constant and frequent hardware upgrades? If so, then perhaps you can live without cloud gaming. However, for just about anyone else with a passion for gaming, cloud gaming may be the best option.
The biggest reason to choose it is that it evens out the virtual playing field. You don’t have to own expensive hardware to become a sponsored pro gamer, earning millions from endorsements and streams. Even if you don’t intend to take up gaming professionally, it is still a very budget-friendly way to access all the games that your hardware doesn’t support. Since cloud gaming platforms continuously upgrade their hardware, you will never have to worry about not being able to run the latest Assassins Creed.
The one thing you do need to invest carefully in is your internet service. If possible, always go for a provider with a great technical support department, like Cox internet customer care. Poor internet service will disrupt cloud gaming even more than your regular gaming experience. So choose wisely and carefully.
