When I heard that Google Statia was shutting down, I thought that this whole idea of "Cloud Gaming" that started with OnLive is finished. I thought that if Google couldn't do it, then it's unlikely that it has any future.
But then, I recently opened my web browser and navigated to Netflix to watch a movie, when I was offered to stream some video games? They ran pretty well, and worked with a joystick, a mouse of even by touch controls (though I admit few PC laptops have touch screens).
And then, I recently bought Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II for Xbox. (Disclaimer: I work at Microsoft.) I was already surprised that with their Xbox Play Anywhere support, I was able to also play them on my PC laptop (in addition to my Xbox), but I also discovered that I could play them from my iPhone using Xbox Cloud Gaming? They also have customized touch controls for phones and tablets, so they pleasantly reminded me of when I played Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls on the Gameboy Advance.
Or what about how I sometimes play some old arcade and console games on Antstream Arcade? Sure, it feels weird that a mere few seconds of the video stream takes more bytes than most of those games' ROMs, but regardless of that bandwidth "waste" it's quite responsive.
So, what happened? There's also Amazon Luna, GeForce Now and PlayStation Plus' own cloud gaming. Why would one find today's offering of cloud gaming services acceptable compared to Google's own?
My first guess is that some services aren't as "locked in" as Stadia. They can connect to other gaming libraries so games you bought outside of the cloud service are playable both inside and outside the cloud service. For example, GeForce Now uses your Steam library, and Luna can use your Ubisoft or GOG library. Even if not all games of those libraries are supported, at least the games you purchased won't vanish if the cloud service closes, like what happened with Stadia.
My second guess is that some of them also are seen as a "bonus" to another, already existing service. It comes bundled with Netflix (in all plans), Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus Premium. So, the risk is low: If the cloud gaming aspect of those services were to shut down, the rest of what is offered in the subscription is still good enough.
My last guess is that, like physical media, the idea of buying a game console, let alone a far more expensive gaming PC, is becoming less popular. It's more convenient to simply use the phone you already have with some game controller or use some cheap laptop and not worry about its performance.
Published on January 19, 2025 at 13:15 EST
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