Cloudgaming presents a different gaming model than traditional consoles, increasing its mainstream appeal. Developments and partnerships in the industry offer the potential for cloud gaming to become a much more popular model in the future.
Is it time for cloud gaming to go mainstream? It may be that as new cloud gaming services and devices appear, it will become a much more normalized option.
Cloud Gaming Advances Push Technology Further
An Xbox Community Update video on YouTube showed Xbox’s intent to focus more on its cloud gaming offerings. You can now play select Xbox titles on your tablet, phone, Xbox console, Samsung Smart TV and even the SteamDeck.
For tablet and phone devices, Xbox Game Cloud has customizable touchscreen support with the ability to plug in an Xbox controller if you have one. If you’ve wondered in the past whether you should choose Google Stadia or Xbox Game Cloud, your decision may now be firmly on the Xbox side.
The Xbox Game Cloud team also saw an 1800% increase in game time in 12 months, demonstrating the growing popularity of cloud gaming services.
It’s not just Xbox making strides in the cloud gaming market: Logitech G and Tencent Games are teaming up to create a portable cloud gaming console, as announced in a Logitech blog post. Both companies are also working with the teams behind Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now to ensure compatibility.
If these recent developments tell you anything, it is that cloud gaming is indispensable. Many companies are trying to make it a more mainstream option among consumers, but you’re probably not in the minority if you have any doubts about the model.
Data and internet speed issues can still be an issue
While cloud gaming is more accessible in some ways, your experience will suffer from limited or poor internet speeds. Since cloud gaming is essentially HD streaming, you can expect it to require gigabytes every hour.
Statista’s 2021 report on global upload and download internet speeds reported the average global download speed as 54.53 Mbps for broadband, while it was 12.63 Mbps for mobile. However, variables such as your individual broadband package, the quality of your connection and the quality of your signal can all play a role in these speeds. You also have to consider latency, which is a killer in gaming in general, but especially cloud gaming.
While it’s likely that companies will find ways to improve the bandwidth required for cloud gaming, you should still consider how viable an option is for you personally. If you think your internet connection is a bit shaky, it’s worth a try to follow the tips to reduce latency and improve your cloud gaming.
Taking costs into account when considering cloud gaming
You probably know how financially insecure most of the world is. In particular, global inflation and various cost of living crises threaten the potential of cloud gaming becoming mainstream.
You may find it cheaper to use the PlayStation Now or Xbox Game Pass services by paying the monthly subscription instead of buying games. It can even be cheaper if you don’t play new games monthly and only subscribe for the months you plan to.
Spending money on a new console and a subscription on top is probably not your top priority while navigating financial uncertainty. Depending on your devices and the frequency of your gaming habit, cloud gaming can be an expensive or cheaper hobby than the traditional gaming hobby.
A 2021 Bloomberg report found that the Google Stadia, a handheld cloud gaming console, sold far fewer controllers and reported fewer monthly active users than Google expected. Bloomberg’s report predates the cost of living crisis, so you have to wonder how likely it is that this new Logitech/Tencent handheld will succeed.
Whether cloud gaming can become mainstream remains to be seen, but the cost factor is likely to play a role in its chances of success.
Customer perception of Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is not exactly a new concept. You probably already have some experience with cloud gaming since the Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now services are firmly entrenched. There are many pros and cons of the PlayStation streaming service PS Now, but in general, these services are well regarded and have carved out a niche for themselves in the gaming market.
Customers are more familiar with the concept of cloud technologies and how it relates to gaming, but is this enough to offset the uncertainty of new handheld devices? Google Stadia’s commercial performance suggests it isn’t, but the 1800 percent increase in game time on Xbox Game Cloud suggests it does.
It is unknown how massively customers will experience the mainstream cloud gaming push. Still, the convenience with multi-platform, controller-less, and console-less options is likely to entice many people.
Cloud Gaming is ready to go mainstream
While there is uncertainty about the cloud gaming market, it is clear that many large companies are pushing to go mainstream.
This push has opened up the market in terms of accessibility, with many options now available for doing cloud gaming regardless of what device you have and whether you have a controller/console or not.
Time will tell if cloud gaming reaches the heights that companies engaged in the technology seem to believe.
Will you jump on the Cloud Gaming Bandwagon?
It’s the perfect time to try cloud gaming if you haven’t already. Cloud gaming is likely to grow in popularity as companies continue to collaborate and advance the technology.
With many cloud gaming services available, it’s worth looking around and comparing them to pick the best one.
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