Cloud Gaming

Providers & Services · Xbox / Shadow / Nvidia · Comparison 2022/01

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also allows access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. This means that in addition to the approximately 100 streamable titles, you also have access to a huge selection of games that you can install and play locally. This includes many triple A titles and Xbox exclusives, which you can therefore stream on many devices – whether mobile device, TV, PC or various Xbox consoles!

It is not possible to use the cloud gaming flat rate without the Game Pass Ultimate – which is probably not so bad for most users.

You should note, however, that only a resolution of FullHD is possible so far. One piece of good news is that a refresh rate of 120Hz is possible for selected titles, so nothing stands in the way of fast FPS shooters like Halo!

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.

Playstation Now is one of the old hands of the cloud gaming scene and can fall back on a huge library of Playstation 2, 3 and 4. Unfortunately, the latest Playstation 5 titles are not available. However, the service grants access to many Playstation Exclusives, even from the older consoles – so it’s just right for retro gamers who want to revive their favorite games from the past.

There’s also the option to download games to a Playstation 4 or 5 and play them locally, which means no unnecessary lags when the internet connection fluctuates, as the content no longer needs to be streamed. This is somewhat more reminiscent of Xbox Game Pass than an actual cloud gaming service.

Playstation Now unfortunately cannot be used on too many platforms, so they have limited it to the PS4, the PS5 and the PC with Windows 10. Streaming to mobile devices or directly to the TV is unfortunately not possible, which is a real shame.

However, Sony wants to launch a new cloud gaming service with “Project Spartacus” in the next few years, which is supposed to give Xbox Game Pass Ultimate a run for its money.

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.