What is Cloud Gaming? Pros & Cons

What is cloud gaming? Cloud gaming is now on the rise in popularity because it’s easier for gamers worldwide. However, not many players understand what it is or what it does. After all, it wasn’t a common concept just a few years ago.

Not many people realize it, but cloud gaming acts exactly like any streaming platform. Just like how you can watch movies online, you can also play games online without buying them. It might be a bit confusing, but we’ll breeze through the tech lingo for you to understand better.

What is Cloud Gaming?

Literally, cloud gaming is playing video games on remote servers. In simpler terms, you don’t need to download or install video games to play. All you just need is your internet connection and the cloud gaming browser or app.

You are playing the game on a remote server and your files are in data centers. So, the game is played on the server but you can control it on your device or console. You also don’t need a console or a super PC. 

The only things you undoubtedly need are a controller and a stable internet connection. Once you have those two, you can start playing online.

What are the Pros and Cons

One of the biggest pros of cloud gaming is the opportunity to play anything anywhere at any time. Imagine playing triple-AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on your phone, television, or laptop. You can undoubtedly play major video game titles without the need to download or install them.

However, the technology isn’t quite there yet. After all, the cloud model requires a monthly or annual subscription to access the games. Yet, some services also require you to buy the game alongside the subscription fee.

Even more, if you do manage to subscribe to a cloud service, you’ll need to wait in line. After all, you can only play for a short duration while hundreds of other gamers wait for their turn. If you upgrade to a premium version of the service, it might give you more play time and priority than other gamers.

Yet, in the case of GeForce Now, the purchases come from Steam or Battle.net. You can still play on the cloud just like everyone else. Yet, you can also install the games you buy once you have a better PC or console.

The cloud gaming service is a matter of convenience and mobility. After all, you can play games on almost any device as long as you pay the subscription. However, we might see a clash of how it could be a threat or an improvement to the gaming market in the future.