The advancement of technology has positively impacted the entertainment industry. In the aspect of gaming, we can see the progressive development of cloud gaming globally.
You already know what we’re talking about if you’re a gamer. If not, you’re not, that’s still not a problem. Either way, this article details important things you need to know about cloud gaming.
More specifically, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud gaming. Without further ado, let’s get started!
What Is Cloud Gaming?
If you’re unfamiliar with this kind of technology, you must wonder: What is cloud gaming?
Cloud gaming is the means of gaming through a remote system or a network server (cloud streaming) instead of your gaming device (consoles or computers).
The emergence of this new form of gaming is an excellent advantage for online gaming fans who want to try streaming games specific to a console or company but do not have the device to do so.
The only requirement to play cloud games is to have a good internet connection. Why is this important? Because your data is not being stored on any console but a server. So if your connection isn’t the best, you’ll have some pretty bumpy games.
If you love to play European Roulette or casino games in general, and would like to try something different, cloud gaming is a great bet.
What Elements Are Needed For Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming is not feasible if it does not have three fundamental elements:
Terminal: Takes the player’s actions and sends them to the server over the network for interpretation. Also, it’s responsible for transmitting the data related to sound and images generated by the server to the terminal.
Server: The jewel in the crown. The remote system executes the game based on the player’s actions. It’s also responsible for generating and sending the image over the network.
Network: No network, no communication. Although we could play with the cloud gaming system with a local network, it is understood that a terminal-server connection via the Internet is necessary if we talk about gaming in the cloud.
How Does Cloud Gaming Work?
The process is quite simple. It would be best if you had an internet connection and a subscription to a platform of your choice to start playing via streaming.
This subscription can be monthly or annual, depending on the service. Although there are “free” plans, several platforms require you to buy additional games at the rate to be paid with these offers. Even mobile streaming games are not free.
Once you have both elements, you can launch an app on the device of your choice and choose from a variety of free cloud games of your choice. You’ll even avoid the annoying periods of updates and additional content, another benefit of cloud gaming.
History of Cloud Gaming
Like all recent technological advances, the systems began their tests on cloud gaming at the beginning of the 21st century.
OnLive was the first prominent cloud service, with a streaming console and a special controller, allowing it to run various games (for example, Darksiders).
Although the games worked with graphics similar to traditional systems, the technology was not developed to deal with all current possibilities. Its latency difficulties prevented this service from going any further.
Gaikai was another that took the step with its cloud gaming service, to later be acquired by the Sony company (not bad). The Japanese company used this technology to create Playstation Now, the first streaming service offered by any console manufacturer.
Imagine the possibilities. Now you can transfer a game from PlayStation 2 to PlayStation 4 to another similar console or PC.
Advantages of Cloud Gaming
There is no doubt that the main one would be to avoid the need to download and install games.
While there are many virtues of cloud gaming, we can highlight the following:
- It does not require expensive hardware investments, as would be the case with powerful computers or next-generation consoles. If you want to join the craze and use games to stream, it won’t be that expensive.
- You don’t have to waste time downloading software updates, nor will you allocate space on any hard drive to store your games.
- Games that previously required downloads of 10, 20, or more GB can now be played immediately, without waiting hours (or days, depending on the internet connection) to start your games to stream.
Disadvantages of Cloud Gaming
Among the most cumbersome of this cloud gaming system, we highlight:
- The gameplay video is compressed, so it won’t present as much detail as you might find on a high-end console or PC.
- The incredible bandwidth it requires: for example, the bandwidth can amount to more than 3GB per hour with a game on OnLive, so if you have limits in this section, you will notice the complications to enjoying the gameplay.
- The latency of cloud gaming is higher than high-powered local hardware, which cloud gaming can affect your gaming experience.
Conclusion
Cloud gaming is a modern evolution in the gaming industry. Many gamers are increasingly loving this new approach to enjoying their favorite games, and big gaming companies are moving with the trend.
However, everything with an advantage has a disadvantage; the same can be said about cloud gaming. We have mentioned the pros and cons of cloud gaming above, but since it is an evolving industry, we expect more pros or cons to pop up. Thanks for reading!
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