The Emergence of Cloud Gaming Services

The world of gaming is constantly evolving. We have gone from the very first consoles that were able to run small and simple games, to today's gaming computers that offer very high performance. But precisely because it is a world that continues to expand and evolve, cloud gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years. The cloud gaming service allows games to be streamed directly from remote servers, meaning there is no longer a need for expensive hardware or physical copies of games, although there is, of course, a need to have a good internet connection that allows you to play remotely. In this article, we will look at the emergence of cloud gaming services and their impact on the gaming industry.

What is cloud gaming?

Cloud gaming is a way of playing games that relies on remote servers to process content. Instead of downloading and installing games (or any other type of content) on their hardware, which has been used since the dawn of video games, users now have the ability to stream games to their devices. Obviously, there is a need for a high-performance and constant internet connection. The games run on servers located in data centers and audio and video are transmitted in real time.

What are the benefits of cloud gaming?

Cloud gaming offers multiple benefits to all who use it. First of all, we cannot fail to mention the fact that it substantially reduces the cost of hardware, since there is no longer the need for expensive upgrades since the games are processed remotely. This allows all players, even those who don't have super-performing hardware, to enjoy high-quality games and experiences. Another good thing is the fact that there is no need to download large files, guaranteeing instant access to the entire library you own.

Another very important advantage to underline is that of cross-platform. Often, cloud gaming services offer cross-device support, allowing gamers to continue a game on whatever platform they have. This is a huge advantage for those who need to play in different places and with different devices.

Moreover, cloud gaming services offer a better chance to fight against piracy since the games are hosted on secure servers. Finally, not in order of importance, we mention the possibility of creating less plastic and polluting material, an aspect of extreme importance and delicacy in recent times.

What are the challenges of cloud gaming?

While cloud gaming has many benefits, which we listed in the previous paragraph, there are also challenges it faces. One of the main ones is having to rely on a robust and powerful internet connection that is capable of processing games in streams. In order to enjoy games at the highest quality, low latency and a large bandwidth are needed, which however is not yet guaranteed homogeneously in every corner of the world.

Another major challenge for cloud gaming is that it needs a powerful server infrastructure that has high costs to design and maintain. Despite this, many companies are investing in data centers and this could lead to the fact that the price for the creation and maintenance of these servers is lower and lower.

Who are the biggest exponents of cloud gaming?

Many companies have started investing in the world of cloud gaming. Launched in 2019, Google Stadia has become the pioneer of this sector, offering all its users a rich library of games that has continued to enrich itself over time. Unfortunately, this experiment totally aimed at cloud gaming did not have the desired results and its closure has been announced. On the other hand, the situation for Microsoft is different, which is starting to have some good results with its Xbox Cloud Gaming platform. This service allows players to stream games with all devices compatible with the Microsoft ecosystem.

Two other examples are NVIDIA GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. The former allows players to stream games from existing Steam and Epic Games libraries; the second, on the other hand, is a reality still in a fairly embryonic phase that has integrated the Amazon Web Services infrastructure internally, mixing it with its cloud gaming services.

What is the future of cloud gaming?

The future of cloud gaming is still uncertain. Certainly, one of the key points is to make this new type of service as widespread as possible, also making use of new technologies such as 5G, data center structures, and higher internet speeds. All these technologies will help make these services better and better. Another thing to consider is the use of virtual reality and augmented reality which are also starting to be used in the cloud gaming sector, creating increasingly immersive gaming experiences.

Furthermore, a very important aspect that we would like to underline is the fact that these cloud gaming services are based on subscription plans. This allows prices to always be flexible, despite having vast and well-stocked game libraries available. It goes without saying that as soon as developers and publishers fully embrace this policy, the games that will be available will be more and more, creating a real expanding universe.

Where are we now?

Cloud gaming is a technology that has revolutionized the gaming world, introducing greater accessibility, convenience, and flexibility to all gamers. By making sure that there is no longer the need to have super powerful hardware in order to get the most out of an experience, we are trying to make the world of video games increasingly inclusive, although there is still the problem linked to the internet connection which, however, it is on the road to be improved more and more day by day.

Although, as we have already said before, there are challenges that cloud gaming has to face, we are faced with a technology full of excellent potential that offers a promising future, with many advantages that players will be able to experience. Technology takes leaps and bounds and is constantly evolving, as is cloud gaming, so soon we will see a change in the way we play.