The Best Streaming Services for Games
Google’s Stadia service has put the idea of streaming games on the internet back in the spotlight. If it gets whimsical later this year, it could be an interesting choice for newbies and veteran gamers alike. ..
If you want to stream your own desktop PC games to your PC, Mac, phonetablet or console, there are many options today. Some of these options are free, while others require purchase of games or other content. If you’re interested in streaming your own games, there are a variety of ways to do it. Some companies have catalogs of games that you can stream before Google Stadia comes along.
The current cloud gaming market is populated by a variety of well-known gaming brands, such as Steam, Nvidia, and Sony. There is a gallery of big names and startups that claim to have their own technology. While few game streaming technologies are free, others require a credit card, making them less desirable if you want to dip your toe in the water.
Here is the list of the best streaming services for games
Nvidia GeForce now
The Nvidia GeForce Now is a game streaming service that uses your existing library of games to stream them to your computer. You can either use the GeForce Now app on a PC or Android device, and link it to your Steam, Uplay or Epic Games library. You can install a compatible game on a remote machine and play it on the platform of your choice.
The GeForce Now system has some potential drawbacks. For example, not all PC games are supported, and while many publishers have added new games to the GeForce Now library, other publishers have taken them out. Additionally, the free tier makes you wait in a queue and limits your playing time. The same goes for the paid tier, in fact, although it’s a much shorter queue and a much longer time limit.
Cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass
Cloud gaming is a new way to play games on your computer or phone. Xbox Game Pass lets you access over 150 games from Microsoft and other developers, and you can play some games with touchscreen controls or use just about any Bluetooth controller that connects to your device. ..
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a subscription service that allows you to play games on your Xbox and PC. It costs $14.99/month and includes the following:
- Live Gold membership which includes access to EA Play, which includes games like Madden NFL 18, Battlefield 1, Star Wars Battlefront II, and more.
- Xbox Game Pass subscriptions for other platforms (PC, PS4, etc).
PlayStation Now
PlayStation Now is the only major game streaming service that works on a subscription model. It’s a great service that requires you to provide your own DualShock 4 controller and monthly subscription cost. Sony then provides the game library, which consists of over 650 PS2, PS3, and PS4 hits. Some of the games are permanently in the library; others come and go monthly. ..
The quality of the games on PS Now is impressive. Series like God of War, Resident Evil, Ratchet & Clank, Red Dead Redemption and Uncharted are all present and accounted for, and you can play them in 1080p resolution. Both PC and PS4 apps work well, so it’s also a good opportunity for PC gamers to experience PlayStation exclusive titles.
Google Stadia
Google Stadia is a streaming service that allows users to stream games in 4K from a Chrome browser. The service is available on devices like Android phones, laptops, tablets and televisions via Chromecast Ultra. Updates are handled server-side so you never have to wait before playing your games. Some of the biggest games on Google Stadia include Mortal Kombat 11, Destiny 2, Borderlands 3, and Darksiders Genesis. ..
Google has finally released its long-awaited YouTube connection, which will allow viewers to click a link in a video’s description to be taken to it on Stadia. This will make it easier for viewers to join the game with other players, or replicate their save files and play where the streamer left off. Additionally, viewers can start playing directly from YouTube ads in just five seconds and access Google Assistant to tips about how to clear tricky sections of the games they are playing.
Hatch
Hatch, a mobile game streaming service, plans to cater to PC and console gamers by offering over 100 mobile games. These games include Leo’s Fortune, Monument Valley, Crashlands and Hitman GO. In addition to playing whenever you want, you can also participate in casual eSports tournaments and go up against friends and others mobile players from all over the world to compete for real prizes. ..
The streaming service, which is called “Netflix”, is a great way to watch your favorite movies and TV shows without having to worry about the internet. It works with 4G, so you don’t need to have a good internet connection to use it. The only downside is that the streaming service was built with 5G in mind, so you’ll need a good internet connection to stream the library of games on offer.
xCloud
Microsoft’s Project xCloud service aims to eliminate the hardware barrier between its game library and potential gamers by allowing players to access its library from anywhere in the world. This service is available now and is free to use.
Microsoft’s Azure data centers are perfect for streaming games originally made for Xbox One or PC on your device of choice. You can access your games wherever you have a network connection, and you can use your own Xbox console as a server through xCloud without having to pay anything.
Xbox One and Series X controllers will be supported on the xCloud device, which theoretically leads to low latency during gameplay.
Many streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, offer 1080p and 4K streaming at a lower internet speed requirement than 10 Mbps. However, this is not always the case. For example, Netflix offers a 1080p stream at a speed of 6 Mbps while Hulu offers a 4K stream at a speed of 50 Mbps. This means that if you want to watch 1080p games or 4K movies on these services, you will need to have an internet connection that is faster than either of those speeds.
Shadow
Shadow is a new streaming service designed to give your device of choice the power of a high-end gaming PC. It doesn’t require you to buy new games to play, instead you can import your current games from stores like Steam, Origin, Epic Games Store or Battle.net and play the ones you already own.
Shadow is a new game lending service that uses a GTX 1080 GPU to run games in 4K or 1080p at 144Hz. It has 12GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of storage so you can have multiple different titles installed at once. Unlike Google Stadia or Project xCloud, Shadow will still need to download and update your games.
