Cloud gaming has been on the lips of various manufacturers for several years. In contrast to cloud computing offerings like Shadow, cloud gaming is above all a medium that should be played anywhere, regardless of the performance of your computer, as long as your internet connection is kept to a minimum. Could 2021 be the rise of technology after a 2020 year of struggling to gain a foothold on this point?
First hesitant steps
From simple curiosity that is not very specific, cloud gaming has gradually become an alternative that must be seriously considered when playing video games. Undoubtedly destined to become quite substantial in a few years’ time, this option appears to have seen only a moderate increase.Despite the various experiments that prove it works. In an ideal world, of course, the entire area would benefit from a strong enough internet connection that anyone could choose to play “in the cloud”, but there is no need to give the path. It still takes a long time for any video game enthusiast to seriously wonder whether or not they will subscribe to a cloud service. Little by little, however, the idea is gaining ground, and it must be said that a giant that was largely shaken at the end of the year, surprisingly and undoubtedly despite everything, has drawn many people to streaming solutions in order to be able to benefit appropriately.
An unexpected spotlight
Cyberpunk 2077, we’ve talked a lot about it and it’s right. Sublime PC version but greedy for a rendering worth trailer, versions of the old generation not far from disaster and the next generation not fully deployed yet … difficult without a bare minimum Investment to take full advantage of CD Projekt’s title. Because of this, we were able to make two observations in the context of creating our overview of cloud offerings with which the futuristic role-playing game is likely to work properly. The most obvious thing is that on the GeForce Now side from Stadia: the technology is more than functional. The renderings differ depending on whether you choose the service from Nvidia or Google. However, as long as you are connected to the fiber, the game will and will do fine. The second observation was the very significant (but perhaps short-lived) increase in requests for subscriptions to the two services. On the Nvidia side, this has meant that subscriptions of just a month and queues before entering the game are likely to be temporarily suspended, which sometimes also affected charter accounts, and promotional offers on the Google side. were discontinued because it was difficult to comply with the request.
Cyberpunk Fat PS4 Gameplay Clip on Release Day
If it were good to say that Cyberpunk 2077 will launch cloud gaming at its expense, however, it is not forbidden to believe that it has heavily favored the limelight and perhaps allowed some skeptics to get involved in technology, even if this means choosing it in the future. At a time when physical sales are falling, dematerialization in the cloud could find a place in the industry in the years to come, especially as the adoption of 5G and therefore performance is imminent. in our area. And alongside Stadia and Nvidia, the major manufacturers have long been in the starting blocks to meet this demand, which should grow.
Manufacturers still in the starting blocks
For its part, Microsoft has put its first balls in the cloud domain with its xCloud service. The service has been available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in a variety of countries since September 2020 and continues to grow. Among other things, it enables 185 games to be played on Android devices and should be compatible with iOS devices and PCs by 2021. This extension to the various platforms, which, according to Phil Spencer’s comments, may also be extended with TV Smarts in the columns of The Verge
Preview of Cyberpunk on GeForce Now
For its part, Sony still relies on its PS Now, which until now has been relatively discreet, even though Subscriptions to services would have achieved 2.2 million Users last May. The principle is simple: for a subscription you can stream games from PS2 to PS4 directly on your PC or on your PS4. There are currently over 300 games on offer, and 4K is also available if you own a PS4 Pro. Sony reiterates its desire to always offer a “hard” machine to fully enjoy new generation games, but is aware of the challenges cloud games can pose even when mobility conditions are more limited than the competition PS Now is not yet ready for use on mobile devices.
Stadia, PS Now, xCloud, GeForce Now … so many services that solidify over time and suggest solid positioning from manufacturers and other companies that don’t intend to arrive after the battle for cloud games. The advent of 5G and the increasingly gradual use of fiber within our confines could ultimately make cloud games a serious alternative to living room games, regardless of whether it’s a convenient addition to consoles. or a great way to play on PC without spending a fortune on equipment. The cloud will undoubtedly not be essential to 2021, but it could shape it in the long term if vendors are up to the task.