Cloud gaming has been called the future of gaming.
So, for the last few weeks I've been putting four services to the test to see
where we're at and whether cloud gaming could replace the PC or console.
If you're new to cloud gaming
the idea is that you don't need a high-end computer or games console to play.
You still control the action but the games are run miles away
in a data centre and the footage streamed to your phone or your TV
just like a movie would be.
The benefits of this are that you never have to install a software update ever again.
The games can be run on top of the range equipment for better graphics that
you never need to upgrade and you can play your games anywhere - on your phone or a laptop
not just when you're at home.
Before I get into some comparisons
here's a quick look at the services I have been testing because as you'll see
they are all very different in scope.
PlayStation Now has been around the longest and is a Netflix-style
all you can eat buffet of games. For £8.99 a month you can stream
more than 700 games to your PS4 or PS5 console or a Windows PC
which Sony says is the only way to access PlayStation-exclusive games without a PlayStation.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently in beta and is a new part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
another all you can eat buffet with hundreds of games for £10.99 a month.
At the moment,
if you play on an Xbox or Windows PC
you have to download the games as usual.
But now you can stream
more than a hundred of them to an Android smartphone or tablet.
Nvidia's GeForce Now is a very different proposition.
There is no all-inclusive library of games.
Instead, you can stream PC games
you've already bought elsewhere on stores such as Steam and Epic Games.
It's aimed at PC gamers who might not have the latest graphics card
or want to play their PC games somewhere else
like on a phone or Macbook.
You can stream games you already own for free
although you are limited to one-hour sessions and
have to queue at peak times. For £8.99 a month, subscribers get
six-hour sessions and improved graphics with ray-tracing, more on that later.
Then there is Stadia from Google. Out of all the services
this is the closest to mimicking a full console experience without the console.
It has its own store where you can buy individual games for a one-off fee
then stream them to your phone, TV, laptop and more for free.
For £8.99 a month
Pro subscribers can stream in ultra-high definition 4K
and claim some free games every month.
So, as you can see already we have a huge range of different business models
and a variety of supported devices and places to play.
First things first.
Does this actually work? When you're gaming, any delay between pressing a button
and seeing the action on screen is unacceptable.
Surely putting your computer miles away in the cloud adds some latency?
Well, yes it does
but honestly not enough that I could perceive.
Nvidia was the only company willing to put a figure on it for me.
It said that sending your commands to the data centre
and a picture being sent back adds about 20ms of latency.
That might be important for competitive pro gamers, but it's not really perceptible for casual play.
Lots of other factors can add latency too.
That's true whether your computer is at home or in the cloud.
Everyone's experience will vary, but I never noticed any latency on any of the four services.
You can see the action on the screen is reacting as soon as I move my finger on the touchpad.
All of them have recommended minimum internet speeds
to make sure everything runs smoothly
and I was testing them on a 50 Mbps connection at home
that could comfortably accommodate them. So let's look at some of those promised benefits of cloud gaming
and the first is top of the range graphics without expensive equipment.
At the moment, Stadia is the only one offering 4K to Pro subscribers
and it looks really crisp on my 4K TV.
You do sometimes notice compression artefacts in the picture like this blocking that wouldn't be there
if the game was being rendered locally.
Now, that's the kind of thing you see
sometimes when you're streaming movies and to be honest
it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the game.
GeForce Now offers up to 1080p high definition, which looks great on my TV as well
while Xbox maxes out at 720p
though I didn't think that was a problem because they're focusing on phones at the moment.
PS Now looked fantastic on my computer
even though I was sat closer to the monitor.
The graphics looked really sharp.
When I shot this they were offering 720p but they have now bumped some games up to 1080p.
In the race for everything to go 4K, we can forget that there is more to graphics
than just resolution and honestly
I thought all four of these services looked great.
All the services run at up to 60 frames per second
if the game supports it
and they step down the resolution on the fly
if your internet is congested, to keep the action moving
just like a movie-streaming service would do.
On one or two occasions
the graphics did degrade quite considerably or even stop
like can happen when you're streaming movies.
It very much depends on your internet.
It was by no means my typical experience, but it's something I wouldn't have experienced
if I was gaming locally on a PC or console.
GeForce Now subscribers also get ray-tracing enabled on some games for more realistic lighting effects.
He's another game.
Look at the reflections on the floor with ray-tracing off...
and now on. Everything shines a bit more.
For comparison
here's the same area on Stadia without ray-tracing so you can see the difference.
But, honestly
I think both look great and deliver on the promise of high-quality graphics
without a top of the range PC.
Another promise of cloud gaming is that you can play anywhere
and not just at home. There are so many combinations of ways
you can play on the services
I can't fit them all into one video, but three of the services support mobile play
so I tried it out on some phones.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is only on Android at the moment, but it works really well and some of the games have added touch controls
so you don't need a controller to play.
Although if you prefer one
there are loads of compatible Bluetooth controllers, including the PlayStation DualShock.
GeForce Now worked on both Android and iOS.
This controller is the Razer Kishi
which clips on to the phone and makes it look like a long Nintendo Switch.
On iOS, you have to play through the web browser
but honestly, it made no material difference to the experience.
Stadia has an app on Android and works in the browser on iOS.
Playing over 4G is where I had the most issues with picture break-up
and stuttering on all three services. Sometimes they wouldn't connect at all
because my 4G connection speed was too variable.
Sometimes the connection was fine and it all worked well.
Other times the connection speed dropped and the games wouldn't load.
Just like over wi-fi, when the services worked
they worked well.
But it really depends on your connection and I found 4G less reliable than wi-fi.
One other thing to bear in mind
is that a lot of the games were designed to be played on a big screen
TV or monitor, so in some games
a few of the details are sometimes a little bit small.
Obviously, the most important thing is the games.
If you're already a PlayStation or Xbox gamer
their cloud services can offer a lot of value.
There is a lot to play and there are blockbuster games on all four services.
Nvidia told me the most popular game on GeForce Now is actually Fortnite
which is one of the games
you can play for free without a subscription.
Honestly, you'd have to dig around and see what catches your eye
and as is always the way
you probably won't find all your favourite games on
just one service.
If you're worried about your internet connection
all of them offer a free trial
apart from Microsoft, which charges
£1 for your first month.
Cloud gaming does raise the question of game ownership.
With PS Now and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/
the library is ever-changing
so titles coming and going
is just part of the deal
kust like it is with movie-streaming services.
GeForce Now isn't selling you any games.
You are bringing over the games
you've already bought elsewhere.
But with Stadia, they're charging you access for specific games
sometimes for £40 or £50.
So what happens if Google decides to close the service?
People who liked to keep and replay games may see that as a bit of a risk.
Is this the future of gaming?
Well, if PlayStation and Xbox
lean into this a bit more
I can see a future where people hop between different services
on a month to month basis, playing the games they like
and then maybe cancelling their subscription like some people do with movie-streaming services.
Although I'm not sure that would be and Sony and Microsoft's interests.
What Stadia showed me
is that putting a full console-style ecosystem into the cloud really can work
as long as your internet connection is good enough.