Vratislav Holub The future of gaming lies in the cloud. At least this view has been steadily expanding in recent years, largely due to the arrival of Google Stadia and GeForce NOW. It is precisely these platforms that can give you enough performance to play so-called AAA games, for example, even on a years-old MacBook without a dedicated graphics card. In the current situation, three functional services are available, but they approach the concept of cloud gaming from slightly different directions. So let's take a look at them together and, if necessary, give advice and show each other the possibilities for gaming on the Mac.
It could be interest you
Three players in the market
As we mentioned above, the pioneers in the field of cloud gaming are Google and Nvidia, which offer Stadia and GeForce NOW services. The third player is Microsoft. All three companies approach this a little differently, so it's a question of which service will be closest to you. In the final, it depends on how you actually play the games, or how often. So let's look at the individual options in more detail.
GeForce NOW
GeForce NOW is considered by many to be the best in the cloud gaming segment available right now. Although Google had a great footing in this direction, unfortunately, due to frequent errors at the launch of their Stadia platform, it lost a lot of attention, which then logically focused on the available competition from Nvidia. We could call their platform the friendliest and probably the simplest. It is also available for free in the base, but you only get access to one hour of gameplay and sometimes you may encounter a situation where you have to "queue" to connect.
GeForce NOW
More fun comes only with a possible subscription or membership. The next level, called PRIORITY, costs 269 crowns per month (1 crowns for 349 months) and offers a number of other benefits. In this case, you get access to a premium gaming PC with more performance and RTX support. The maximum session length is 6 hours and you can play up to 6p resolution at 1080 FPS. The highlight is the RTX 60 program, which, as the name suggests, grants you a gaming computer with an RTX 3080 graphics card. Additionally, you can enjoy up to 3080-hour gaming sessions and play at a resolution of up to 8p at 1440 FPS (PC and Mac only). However, you can also enjoy 120K HDR with Shield TV. Of course, it is also necessary to expect a higher price. Membership can only be purchased for 4 months for 6 crowns.
In terms of functionality, GeForce NOW works quite simply. When you buy a subscription, you practically get access to a gaming computer in the cloud, which you can use as you wish - but of course only for games. Here you can see probably the biggest benefit. The service allows you to link your account with your Steam and Epic Games game libraries, thanks to which you can start playing right away. Once you own the games, GeForce NOW just takes care of getting them up and running. At the same time, there is also the possibility to adjust the graphic settings directly in the given game to your liking, but it is necessary to take into account the limitation of the resolution according to the plan used.
Google Stadia
Updated 30/9/2022 - The Google Stadia gaming service is officially ending. Its servers will be shut down on January 18, 2023. Google will refund customers for purchased hardware and software (games).
At first glance, Google's Stadia service looks practically the same - it is a service that allows you to play games even on a weak computer or mobile phone. In principle, you can say yes, but there are a few differences. Stadia does it a little differently, and instead of lending you a gaming computer like GeForce NOW, it uses proprietary technology built on Linux to stream the games themselves. And that's exactly the difference. So if you would like to play through this platform from Google, you will not be able to use your existing game libraries (Steam, Origin, Epic Games, etc.), but you will have to buy the games again, directly from Google.
However, in order not to offend the service, we must admit that it tries to compensate at least partially for this ailment. Every month, Google gives you a load of additional games for your subscription, which remain with you "forever" - that is, until you cancel your subscription. With this step, the giant tries to keep you as long as possible, because for example after a year of paying regularly, you may regret losing so many games, especially when we take into account the fact that you have to pay for them directly on the platform. Even so, Stadia has a number of benefits and today it is a great option for cloud gaming. Since the service runs in the Chrome browser, which, by the way, is also optimized for Macs with Apple Silicon, you will not encounter a single problem or jam. It is subsequently similar with the price. A monthly subscription for Google Stadia Pro costs 259 crowns, but you can also play in 4K HDR.
xCloud
The last option is Microsoft's xCloud. This giant has bet on having one of the most popular game consoles of all time under its thumb and is trying to transform it into cloud gaming. The official name of the service is Xbox Cloud Gaming, and it's currently only in beta. Although not enough is heard about it for now, we have to admit that it has a great foothold and could take the title of the best service for cloud gaming relatively soon. After paying, you not only get access to xCloud as such, but also to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, i.e. an extensive game library.
It could be interest you
For example, the arrival of Forza Horizon 5, which has been receiving a standing ovation since its launch, is now discussed among gamers and racing game lovers. I've personally heard several times from disappointed Playstation fans that they can't play this title. But the opposite is true. Forza Horizon 5 is now available as part of Game Pass, and you don't even need an Xbox console to play it, as you can do it with a computer, Mac or even an iPhone. The only condition is that you have a game controller connected to the device. Since these are games primarily for Xbox, they cannot of course be controlled via mouse and keyboard. In terms of price, the service is the most expensive, as it costs 339 crowns per month. But it is necessary to take into account what you are getting access to, so that the service starts to make more and more sense. However, the first, so-called trial month will cost you just 25,90 crowns.
Which service to choose
In the end, the only question is which service you should choose. Of course, it depends primarily on you and how you actually play. If you consider yourself to be a more enthusiastic gamer and like to expand your game library, then GeForce NOW will make the most sense for you, when you still have individual titles under your control, for example on Steam. Undemanding players could then be pleased with the Stadia service from Google. In this case, you are sure that you will have something to play every month. In any case, the problem may be in the choice. The last option is Xbox Cloud Gaming. Although the service is currently only available as part of the beta version, it still definitely has a lot to offer and offers a completely different approach. Within the available trial versions, you can try all of them and choose the best one.
“…it could take the title of best cloud gaming service relatively soon. If you are interested in it, you have to pay." – That's a bit poorly written, isn't it?