What Are Cloud Gaming Subscriptions 

Cloud server game subscription services are on the increase, with a significant number of firms looking to take a piece of the action. As a good way of reducing costs, these services are becoming ever more regarded as the future of gaming even though there is much debate among gamer’s around the benefits and drawbacks.

The overall costs of gaming are spiraling with the demand for latest-generation hardware and the increased requirements to run even more power-hungry games, not to mention the high costs of new games themselves. It’ll soon be possible that high quality gaming is out of reach for a significant number of casual gamer’s. 

The old problems of bandwidth, broadband speeds, and even game quality itself are rapidly becoming less of an impacting issue. As a result, there is a noticeable shift from buying services to subscribing to them (in fact you’re buying a membership). That’s not only in the gaming industry, and is being applied to such services as data, computer software, telecoms, TV media, and a whole lot more.

From a gaming perspective, you can take out subscriptions to mobile game solutions or sign up to watch games, and there are ways to subscribe to play console games or PC games only. 

Each of these will appeal for different reasons and have their pros and cons, and while the obvious cloud-gaming benefits of good priced options (and some entirely free play opportunities too without an active subscription, for example with Facebook Cloud gaming) to play top rated games anytime and anywhere – and on any device without having to purchase a high end PC or console – are clearly desirable, there are one or two hidden drawbacks too.  

On this page we’ll take a look at the different cloud gaming subscription solutions currently available. We’ll be aiming to put together an exhaustive list that’ll let you compare services, understand how cloud gaming subscriptions work, appreciate some of the benefits and drawbacks, and much more…… 

Let’s start with the basics……

 

How Do Cloud Gaming Subscriptions Work

Perhaps the best way to begin understanding how cloud server subscriptions work is to draw a parallel with something you most likely already know – the TV/movie services from names like Netflix and Amazon Prime. 

Not that long ago these types of services were just an idea in someone’s head. Now they’re widely seen as standard ways to enjoy TV programs and movies. Gaming is heading the same way, and a future where these subscription-type services are the standard is not inconceivable.  

So you’ll pay a regular subscription fee for a service – normally monthly, three monthly, or some have a yearly option – and for that you’ll get unencumbered access to that service’s games or if they’re ‘only’ providing servers then those cloud servers. Note that for some you may also need to pay extra on top  for specific games.

You’ll use an app on your local device ( the games can be played on basically anything with a display:  a mobile phone, a low power laptop, or a TV with a streaming stick) to connect to your chosen service, pick a game, and run it pretty much straight away (remember there’s no downloading, you’re playing straight on the Cloud servers).

From a ‘who to sign up with’ perspective, there’s plenty of choice  with a raft of names on the list of subscription options – from solutions provided by major shopping or technology firms like Amazon (Luna), Google (Stadia),  Microsoft (Project xCloud), and most recently Facebook,  through to other well known and not so well known Cloud solutions providers such as Nvidia (GE Force Now), Shadow, Nware, Parsec Gaming, Vortex, Blacknut , and Paperspace.

 

Basically all of these services transform your phone, tablet, TV or computer (or all of them) into high performing gaming PC’s by placing the servers that run them in the cloud (that is, on very powerful servers positioned in data centers). Instead of downloading games to your device or installing local media, you are streaming games from the Cloud servers to whatever you’re using.

In effect, they are improving the capability of your local device by upgrading or transforming them.  Your PC, console, TV, or phone is not using its own internal processors to run the games. The end result is you’re able to play resource intensive games without spending a fortune on expensive gaming equipment.

Your end devices benefit through having more space available and enhanced battery life for other stuff. You no longer need expensive gaming computers, consoles, or TV set-top boxes. They are all in the cloud waiting for you to use. It’s worth noting though that some games may still need some form of local controller to work. 

Clearly subscribing to a cloud gaming service has financial benefits (that is, lower cost overall) even taking into account the potential need for a controller. Where it may be a problem though is in data usage – you’ll definitely want to be on an unlimited plan for broadband or mobile. 

Explaining how it all technically works is beyond the scope of this page. There are plenty of in depth resources that explain what the cloud is and how it works or specifically how cloud gaming works. Essentially though, you’re connecting your device to another high performance one which is either some form of PC or server.

It’s worth knowing though that not all the providers of subscription-based cloud gaming actually own the servers themselves. They may do, but also may rent server space from a provider who runs general cloud services (such as for business computer networks). 

If all this has grabbed your attention and you’re considering diving in and signing up to a cloud gaming subscription, you’ll want to follow some of the advice in this article from Polygon on how to set up cloud gaming in your home. 

 

More Benefits

We already touched on the big benefits of reducing total cost and giving access to high performance gaming setups that otherwise may be beyond the reach of many game players. You can add to those the benefits of no need for any local upgrades. They’re all done for you. 

Aside from that, there’s one aspect that you might not even pick up on till you have an active subscription. That comes in the benefits of choice from a potentially wide library…. 

When you buy games you (or many of us do) have to think carefully about the expenditure. Do I really want it? Am I going to get value for my money? 

In the subscription model, you don’t have this worry – and this opens the door to a trial and error demo-type situation where you may try out games you wouldn’t even have considered buying. It’s a fair bet you’ll end up loving one or two and congratulating yourself on finding something unexpected. 

If you’re considering subscribing to a cloud service, one other aspect worth note is that of storage space. The demands on storage capacity can clearly be illustrated by looking at one game in particular – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

When it arrived in 2019 it reportedly set a new storage space requirement, needing 175 GB. We could see that record broken. 

You’ll most likely have been hit with the problem of lack of storage space at some point on at least one of your devices, and possibly all of them. Most likely at precisely the point when what you were trying to save was highly important. 

No such problem in the Cloud here. The storage space is all on the providers servers, not your own. This situation where all data is stored in the Cloud makes it easy to switch from playing on one device to another too. 

Ever got access to that new game and waited hours for it to download? You won’t have that problem with a streamed Cloud subscription. The games are there waiting to be played, and as long as you have a reasonable quality internet connection you’ll be playing at 4K resolution and up to 60 frames per second without too many problems.

Lastly we should touch on controllers. The good news here is you don’t necessarily have redundant controllers now, these can still be used (on certain services and with some restrictions). You still need a controller to play games in the Cloud which have any higher form of processing needs than simple low interaction titles or games played solely on a phone.

 

Some Of The Negatives

There are of course some drawbacks, even though subscribing gives you the right to download and play a game:  

You’ll always need to have an internet connection to play – Since you’re connecting to a device in the Cloud that’s not your own, clearly you need some form of connection to make it work. This is -of course – an internet connection.

Distance from servers can make a difference – We all know the problem of delay (or lag as it’s often referred to). In a game streaming scenario, some of that delay will be down to your local device or connection. But some of it is about pure distance between you and the server you’re using. Imagine you’re connected to a server that’s actually 2000 miles away. The delay here could be around 1/60th of a second. That could be one frame lost which in a battle game might be the difference between dead or alive. 

Whether this is really a potential problem or not depends on the infrastructure of the service provider. Taking Microsoft and Google as two examples, each already run huge networks with data centres spread throughout the world. Those DCs will already have been positioned to make sure they are able to meet the needs of the greatest possible number of users in that region. 

You can’t trade a game 
If you delete a game (either intentionally or unintentionally) it’s gone unless you an re-download it 

If the Cloud providers servers go down, you’re off the air too – but note here that we’re talking (in most cases) about ultra high performance servers in high availability data centers. Servers would be unlikely to go down..and even if they did there would be backup/failover servers ready to come online in a split second. The worst I could see happening here is a few seconds of interruption or slowness on very rare occasions.  

You don’t actually own the game – but is this really such a big deal? The question you might ask yourself is – “is this any different than going to a concert or a movie?” 

With those you’re paying for an experience. A memory. Entertainment. Why would playing a game be any different? The difference is that many of us like the feeling of owning a game – we get emotionally and financially invested in not only owning the games but the associated hardware too. You can see though that it only takes a small shift in mindset to turn this seemingly negative aspect into a positive. 

There’s also the ‘green’ aspect to consider too. Owning stuff leads to waste as it’s eventually disposed of. Unlikely we’d see an ocean full of floating game cases and console parts, but you get the point.  

Any game would become unavailable if the service provider decided to terminate it, or end the service provision completely.

This last one is under heavy debate in gaming communities, with many citing this as one of the main reasons cloud gaming can’t work. They may have a point to an extent, though we should all note that if a game is not good enough – or unpopular probably for that reason – then it shouldn’t be a surprise to see it dropped from a library. The better games are unlikely to disappear completely. 

You could rack up some bills if your data is capped – playing games at 4K for a long period is going to result in some fairly heavy data usage. If you’re capped you’ll most likely know about it either from a usage warning if your internet provider sends them, or worse when you get the bill.

 

So what else could go wrong?

Game developers and publishers benefit from great financial deals with the larger technology and console firms. They’ll use the benefits in the relationship to get hosting, distribution, and marketing assistance and a whole host of other business related stuff. So that help from the bigger companies might lessen the need for developers to generate their own marketing and awareness campaigns. 

There may be a situation brewing where the cloud game offers become cluttered with thousands of games. That’s great news (as long as the quality remains high) for gamer’s, but there is a risk of course of games getting ‘lost’ in the potentially enormous lists of those available to subscribers. It’s like a Netflix ‘binge’ situation, where there’s so much on offer that there’s nothing to stop anyone jumping around from game to game. The brand awareness and user loyalty could reduce to some extent, although of course that’s unlikely to be a major problem for the big name games from top tier developers.  

All this will lead to game publishers having to fight hard to get there games featured prominently on the cloud subscription games lists. It’s not hard to see past the criticality for publishers to handle this task well, and how it all pans out remains to be seen. 

Which Is The Best Cloud Service?

With varying game libraries and different features it’s not easy to compare subscriptions to specifically label any one as the best, so it’ll be best to try and group services into different types for this exercise:

 

Cloud Console Gaming

Current options are  either PlayStation Now on PS4 or  Project xCloud on Xbox One when it’s fully released. We’ll need to see xCloud after a few months of use to give a clear indication of which one is best, but its reported ability to allow switching of devices and play across multiple platforms would most likely place it at an advantage.

 

PC Cloud Gaming

This is the category that gives us a lot to choose from. Shadow looks a good choice here with its potential for you to buy games from places like Steam and then play them on the Cloud servers.  

 

Summary 

Here’s a quote from a gamer I saw on a forum “The day that cloud gaming becomes the norm is the day I stop buying new games”. It’s a quote that – although appearing to come from a negative viewpoint – is a starting point for illustrating the value of enjoying gaming in the Cloud rather than on discs (and ultimately consoles) that you physically own.

We’ve seen that Cloud gaming has benefits in reducing costs and providing high quality experiences. In a nutshell it offers a mixture of convenience and speed at the cost of the traditional ownership we all know.

We’ve seen a number of drawbacks too.

The balance overall suggests that Cloud gaming is probably here to stay. 

No doubt the debates will rage on for some time between those of us who stand firmly in different camps, and the reality is that the outcome – at least in the near future – is that there is room enough for everybody, and Cloud games will co-exist with physical games and other types of subscriptions for the foreseeable future.