Video Game Streaming: An Intriguing Future Or Daydream?

Google Stadia, GeForce Now, and others. Game streaming - will this be the future of electronic entertainment? The Internet brings intriguing forms of entertainment for those who value computer games.

Playing the latest games in the highest details without a powerful computer or the latest console - this is promised by other giants, entering the so-called streaming games. Is this possible? What are the possibilities and limitations of this technology? Will it replace gaming on PCs and consoles? Will it bring us closer to a reality in which gaming will no longer depend on having the right equipment and truly available to everyone? At least, these seem to be promising. And what does the practice look like? Streaming computer games - how does it work? Get answer for all these game rumors like questions below.

Simply put, game streaming is similar to video streaming in that it allows access to content that is not physically in our possession. So instead of installing the game from the disc or downloading from the internet; instead of running on the console or PC, we gain access to content " in the cloud ". Learn more about GPU Dedicated Server and Windows Virtual Desktop Azure from cloud hosting providers.

The game is launched somewhere far away in a powerful server center, and only the image it generates is sent to us. This allows you to get high-quality graphics even on a weaker PC. At least in theory.

In practice, such streaming differs from video streaming - that is, even Netflix or HBO GO - in that not only the image is transmitted to us, but it is also important that the server receives commands from us almost immediately. Only in this way can you provide smooth control that is so important for the proper operation of the games.

This is important because even the smallest delay - which can occur regardless of how fast your internet connection is - can harm the quality of fun. Therefore, the quality of the technology used by the given service operator is extremely important.

Check out! How Much RAM Is Needed For Streaming Games

OnLive And Gaikai - An Ancient Past

This was very well visible about 10 years ago when OnLive and Gaikai services tried to debut on the market. The assumptions of their actions were the same. However, it quickly turned out that the quality of their technology did not allow for ensuring adequate quality of gameplay.

As a result, even on fast Internet connections, games launched with OnLive were characterized by a clear delay in response to control (so-called lag). Because of this, playing anything but slow strategies turned out to be at least not very comfortable, and often impossible.

Google Stadia - Trailer Of A New Reality

At the end of last year, the topic of streaming returned thanks to Google. If anyone has the right technology and available computing power in the cloud, this is the internet giant.

And - unlike services from years ago, Google Stadia in most cases works at least decently. At least when it comes to technology. The business model of the service aroused much less enthusiasm among users.

To play games via Google Stadia you need to buy them separately on this service. This aroused great resistance among players who did not like that they were to pay for every available game the full store price without getting it on their own. Instead, he only received the promise of access to it on Google Stadia servers.

This could be compared to a situation in which Netflix would require its users to pay the full store price for each movie instead of offering one subscription. An unattractive solution.

GeForce Now - The Answer To Google Stadia's Ills

In recent months, a service debut has appeared, which seems to free players from what is unfavorable at Google Stadia. GeForce Now, a competitive nVidia service, allows you to run games bought via Steam in the cloud.

In its basic version, limiting the length of one session to one hour, it is available for free. For a small fee of about PLN 20 a month, we get the opportunity to play for any length of time and using the latest graphic effects - ray tracing.

However, here too, a problem soon arose. With the release of the nVidia service from the beta testing period, several publishers announced the withdrawal of their games from it. They were Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. Another can follow them.

GeForce Now is therefore undoubtedly a more convenient and economical service from the economic point of view, but without giving the user any warranty. For now, it looks like games may disappear overnight without warning, which is unlikely to inspire.

Game Streaming - What's Next?

These first attempts at serious commercial game streaming services are of course not over yet. It has long been rumored that Amazon is planning to enter this market segment. The secret is that Microsoft is also planning a big offensive. His Azure technology is perfectly suited to this application. To the extent that in May 2019 the agreement on establishing cooperation in this area was signed with Microsoft ... Sony, i.e. its biggest rival in the fight for players.

So regardless of what happens, we can be sure that we will hear about streaming games more than once.