Cloud Gaming

Providers & Services · Xbox / Shadow / Nvidia · Comparison 2023/06

The Blackout platform is a game streaming service that maybe not all of you know yet. Unlike the competition from Microsoft and Sony, Blackout offers a special feature within the subscription model that reminds us more of Netflix Premium. As part of a monthly subscription for €14.99, the service not only provides you with over 500 games, but also gives you access to a maximum of five separate game accounts, which you can use simultaneously if necessary. This makes the offer particularly interesting for families and couples.

You can play across devices without having to wait or download by using a Bluetooth controller. Choose between smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC, or TV. Selected games support a local multiplayer mode. There are no playtime limits or restrictions on the number of game titles. Content that is inappropriate for an age class can be restricted depending on the profile using a PIN code.

A limitation of screen time for younger family members is being planned. However, at the time of writing, this feature is not yet included. Should you wish to cancel or suspend your subscription, you can do so at any time on a monthly basis. Your game progress will then be archived for the next six months and can be retrieved at any time during this period as soon as you reactivate your account.

GeForce Now is a bit different from other cloud gaming services because it does not have its own library and does not sell any titles. However, Nvidia allows users to stream their already purchased games to other devices that are compatible with GeForce Now. To do this, users get access to several portals, such as Steam, the Epic Game Store, Ubisoft Connect, EA Origin and GOG. Not every game is available, but this still adds up to a good 1,000 titles.

Before you can get started, you have to choose one of three memberships. The free version of GeForce Now is rather something to try out. You can play linked games for a total of one hour per day without incurring any costs. However, this time frame will hardly be enough for many gamers. Apart from that, you have to expect a queue time when logging in.

If you use the paid GeForce Now Priority offer, a so-called premium rig is also available and the queuing is omitted. At the same time, the playtime is increased to 6 hours per day, which gives you a lot more room to operate. From a technical layer, your streaming can then also run at a resolution of up to 1080p at a maximum of 60 frames per second. This subscription works on many devices as long as there is a proper internet connection and is therefore the most flexible. You can easily stream current Triple A titles to your TV this way without HDMI 2.1

The advantages of the most powerful GeForce Now Ultimate package with RTX 3080 support, on the other hand, only work on PC, MAC and Nividia Shield. So 4K streaming at up to 120 FPS is only possible on those platforms. GeForce NOW Ultimate members will receive an automatic upgrade in 2023 with access to the next generation RTX 4080 gaming rigs as soon as they become regionally available, benefiting from ray tracing, DLSS 3 support and an additional performance boost.

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 concept 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.

Only the Premium subscription for 16.99 Euros a month allows you to access cloud streaming for PS1 all the way to PS4 titles, including the PSP handheld. Although you also get access to downloads of PS5 games, Sony still does not offer cloud content for the next-gen console. The resolution is limited to Full HD. Sometimes the stream is also transmitted in 1280 x 720 pixels, depending on the game.

With a glimpse 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. The longer you book in advance, the cheaper you get each month. If you pay for a whole year upfront, you save more than 80 Euros. Calculated per month, that is just under 10 Euros and three Euros less than the monthly costs of Microsoft’s solution.

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

The cloud gaming service Shadow takes a similar path as GeForce Now and provides the hardware for cloud gaming, which is then available to you almost without restrictions.

Basically, you rent a fully-fledged, pre-configured computer that you can access via app or web browser to install games and software. But beware: A flat rate for games is not included in this offer. However, you can use previously purchased games without any problems as long as Windows 10 compatibility is guaranteed. Thus, distribution platforms, such as Steam, the Epic Store, EA Origin or Battle.Net are available. An update to the current Windows 11 is not yet planned by the time this content was written.

Compared to other services, the subscription price is quite high at $ 29.99 and the offered hardware is sufficient, but with a Geforce GTX 1080 or comparable graphics solution, no longer really state of the art. The Power Upgrade offers an RTX4000 model with 8GB GDDR6 memory and a faster Intel Xeon processor, but it also comes at a price of $ 44.98. The storage space of 256 GB on the SSD can also be used up quickly with modern triple-A titles.

If you still want to give the service a chance, you have to expect an activation period that can vary depending on demand and availability. Once everything is set up, you can use the service across numerous platforms and play on the go on your smartphone or on your television while sitting on the couch. Android and Google TVs are supported for this purpose. If your device is based on a different operating system, such as Tizen or webOS, an Android TV Stick can help.

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. This includes almost 400 streamable titles, as well as a huge selection of additional games that you can install and experience locally. Among them are 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 aware, that you will of course need a stable internet connection with a high transfer rate!

Due to the large game catalog in combination with additional features like 120 FPS and touch control, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has clearly secured its place at the top of the cloud gaming services.