Having a (relatively) small device that can play basically any big game on it is a cool idea, and it is what I love about Valve’s Steam Deck. But the deck can be a bit bulky, and its battery just doesn’t last at times. Also, it doesn’t work that easily with Xbox Game Pass. So the idea of a new, smaller handheld for streaming Game Pass and Xbox titles sounds great! However, at $300 it seems overpriced in a world where Steam Deck and Switch OLED exist at roughly the same price.
Announced today by Microsoft and Logitech, the new handheld gaming console G Cloud, is a small Android-powered device designed around streaming video games. 10 years ago this would have been a strange idea. But today you can stream virtually any game on most platforms with enough tinkering. The idea behind this new G Cloud device is to eliminate the tinkering and modding and give gamers a simple, fast and easy way to stream all the great games on Game Pass.
First the positive. The new Android device claims to have longer battery life, probably thanks to the fact that games are only streamed and not run natively. It features a solid 1080p 7-inch touchscreen, integrated controls, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a button and stick layout similar to an Xbox controller. I also really like the look of the device. It’s a bit smaller than Steam Deck, which should be good for people with smaller hands.
But here’s the problem: the price. You can currently pre-order them G Cloud for $300 That’s pretty high considering it’s basically a fancy Android phone with built-in controls, a bigger battery, and no call option. It has supp ort for the Google Play Store, so mobile games and apps will probably work with it. And since it’s based on Android, it will basically be modifiable from day one. But still, $300 seems high for it.
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And that’s just for now. Once it comes out on October 17, the price will jump to $350, aka the same price as a new Switch OLED and just $50 less than a 64GB Steam deck. Now, it’s true that the Switch can’t stream the entirety Game Pass Librarybut with some tinkering, the Steam Deck can actually do it while playing too (most) of your Steam games.
When I first saw the G Cloud on Twitter, I was interested. A small device for Android apps and Xbox Game Pass cloud streaming could be nice. But only for about…$200. At the current price, I would recommend people to buy a new phone, an external controller for their current phone, or a Steam Deck instead.
