Cloud Gaming

Providers & Services · Xbox / Shadow / Nvidia · Comparison 2023/02

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. This includes around 100 streamable titles, as well as a huge selection of additional games that you can install and experience locally. This also covers many so-called triple A games and Xbox exclusive titles, which you can stream via numerous devices – no matter if you use a TV, smartphone, tablet, PC or Xbox console. Since the Xbox app has now also been integrated into the gaming hub of Samsung Smart TVs, all you need is a TV with an Internet connection and a compatible Bluetooth controller to begin.

An additional highlight: Thanks to touch controls in a variety of titles, even your controller can take a break. However, the games flat rate can only be used in combination with the Game Pass Ultimate premium subscription. Microsoft currently charges 12.99 Euros per month for this.

You should note, however, that only a resolution of Full HD is possible so far. One piece of good news is that a refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 120 Hz is possible for selected titles, so nothing stands in the way of fast FPS shooters like Halo or Xbox Series X|S optimized titles like Gears 5! Increasingly, games with raytracing support are also making their way into the gaming library.

But be careful, you will of course need a good Internet connection with a high transfer rate!

Due to the large selection of games and the quality of the streamable and playable titles, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has clearly secured its place at the top of the cloud gaming services.

Although the release of Google Stadia resembled a debacle, the cloud gaming service has really made itself over time. Initially, the service only had 22 games, which is why it was initially rejected by many gamers. However, the collection has been greatly expanded to this day and even triple A titles such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Far Cry 6 are available.

With Stadia Base, cloud gaming is even possible for free on many different platforms. However, there is no flat rate for games and you have to purchase each title you want to play separately. You are limited to a maximum resolution of Full HD.
With Google Stadia Ultra, you also get access to a game flat rate of 30 games, which are supposed to change over time, in addition to the cloud streaming option on countless devices. Furthermore, the maximum resolution is extended to 4K/UHD, but this only applies to selected titles.

Of course, this requires an even better Internet connection with a data transfer rate of at least 35 Mbps, so this could well be problematic for many users.

What makes Google Stadia stand out is that many triple-A titles are already available on the cloud gaming platform on the day of release.

GeForce Now is a bit different from the other cloud gaming services. The service does not have its own library of games, but it allows users to stream their already purchased games to other devices that are compatible with GeForce now. Users have access to multiple distribution platforms, such as Steam, the Epic Game Launcher or Ubisoft Connect.
For example, a majority of the games available on Steam are also available with this cloud gaming service, so you can imagine that the selection of games is immense.

The free version of GeForce Now Cloud Gaming is more like a trail variant of the actual offering. You can stream your linked games for one hour per day, at no cost. For most gamers, however, one hour won’t be nearly enough and there can be longer waiting times when logging into the service.

These are eliminated with GeForce Now Priority and the playtime has been increased to 6 hours, which should be plenty for most users. In addition, the resolution is raised from 720p to FullHD. This subscription can be used on very many devices from smartphones to TVs as long as there is a good Internet connection. Thus, you can enjoy current Triple A titles on the TV – even without HDMI 2.1!

While GeForce Now RTX 3080 can also be used on all of these devices, the benefits that are bought will only work on PC, Mac and Nvidia Shield. This means that 4K streaming is only possible on those platforms. If you don’t use them, the GeForce Now Priority membership is recommended.

The cloud gaming service Shadow follows a similar path as GeForce Now and provides the hardware for cloud gaming, so to speak, which you can then use as freely as possible.

You rent a PC including Windows 10, which the user can then access remotely. Therefore, all games that are compatible with Windows 10 can be used. The subscription does not include a flat rate for games, so the games you want to stream have to be purchased separately. However, previously purchased games can be installed on the rented PC, so that a new purchase is not necessary. All distribution platforms like Steam, Epic, Origin or BattleNet are available to the user, so nothing has to be waived.

However, this freedom costs a certain surcharge compared to other services, and there can be delays when activating the service.

However, once the service is activated, it can be used on many platforms, so you can play on the go on your smartphone or comfortably on your TV from the couch. Initially, only Android and Google TVs are supported, but the cooperation with LG TVs is to be expanded. And if the TV does not have such an operating system, an Android TV Stick can easily remedy the situation.

Formerly known as PlayStation Now, the game streaming service has been continued by the Japanese electronics company under a new name since mid-2022. The previous offer was completely transferred to the new subscription service. If you take a closer look at the revised service, you will notice that PS Plus now covers three sub-areas with their own price levels that you can choose from.

Out of these, only the Premium subscription for 16.99 Euros per month gives you access to cloud streaming for PS2 and PS3, the PSP handheld, and the PS4. Although you also get access to downloads of PS5 titles, Sony still does not offer cloud content for the next-gen console.

Looking at the cheaper Game Pass Ultimate, where you can also stream optimized content for the Xbox Series X|S, there is still room for improvement. However, the longer you book in advance, the cheaper you get each month. If you pay for a whole year in, you save more than 80 Euros. Put into monthly rates, that’s just under 10 Euros, which is three Euros less than the Microsoft alternative.

While you can easily stream content to your PC via the PlayStation Plus app, this is not yet planned for mobile devices or compatible TVs. It remains to be seen whether Sony will tighten up the offer in the future.

Amazon also wants to slowly get involved in cloud gaming and therefore introduces the service Amazon Luna. It is still in a closed beta phase and is only available in the US at the moment, but it could also become a not insignificant factor in cloud gaming here.

There are a total of three packages, so-called “channels”, each of which allows access to different games. The library of the individual channels is not quite as large yet; however, a lot of games will most likely be added in order to remain competitive. The Ubisoft+ channel in particular offers some excellent triple A titles, which can put users in a positive mood for the service’s release.

The actual performance of the service doesn’t seem to differ between packages, so you’re currently looking at FullHD resolution at a refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 60Hz. However, the company has announced that UHD streaming will be enabled. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear when this will happen and whether it will only apply to individual games.

The release date is also still open, so we will probably have to be patient.

In addition, users with Amazon Prime will not be left empty-handed. They will get access to 4 titles of the cloud gaming service, which will change after a certain period of time.