Vratislav Holub Macs are definitely not meant for gaming, which can freeze casual gamers at times. The vast majority of video games are intended either directly for consoles or for computers with the Windows operating system, which is why they cannot be enjoyed even on the most powerful Macs. Game streaming services, which allow playing games in the so-called cloud, appear to be the solution to this problem. In this case, only the image is sent to the user, while control instructions are sent in the opposite direction. But it has several shortcomings that you should not overlook.
Playing in the cloud or great comfort
When you start looking into gaming cloud services, you will see one benefit after another. Thanks to them, you can start playing any game without having to have a powerful computer or to download and install them at all. In short, everything is instantaneous and you are practically only a click away from the gaming experience. For a monthly fee, you get a "powerful computer" on which you can play almost anything. The only condition is, of course, a sufficiently capable Internet, and in this direction it is primarily about stability, which you simply cannot do without. Because with high response, cloud gaming becomes unrealistic.
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The mentioned benefits cannot be denied to these services. At the same time, there are three options available on the market (if we ignore other providers), which are Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Each of these services offers a slightly different approach, which we have addressed in this article about gaming cloud services. But let's put the differences and other benefits aside this time and focus on the opposite side, which in my opinion does not get much attention.
Flaws that hurt
As a long-time GeForce NOW user who has experienced the service since the beta and pilot days, I can find quite a few flaws. During the last months, of course, I also tried the competition in the form of Google Stadia and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and I must honestly admit that each of them has something to offer. However, GeForce NOW remains my personal favorite. This service allows you to connect the game libraries of Steam, UbisoftConnect, GOG, Epic and others, thanks to which you can also play games that you have had in your collection for a long time. But here we encounter a minor problem, which is unfortunately common to all platforms.
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What if I want to play a game that is not supported on the service itself? In that case, I'm just out of luck. Although, for example, GeForce NOW works in such a way that it practically lends the user a powerful computer and therefore has no problem running any game/application, it is still necessary that the given title is in the game catalog. Nvidia is also very unlucky in this regard. When the service was hard-launched, the company offered a 90-day free trial, which didn't sit well with the big studios. Allegedly, since then, games from Bethesda and Blizzard have not been available in GeForce NOW, nor can you play anything from EA and others. Although the aforementioned catalog is really extensive and new games are constantly being added, you can definitely understand the feeling when you want to play your favorite game, but you just have bad luck.
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Of course, this also applies to other services, where of course some titles may be missing. Personally, for example, during the Christmas holidays I wanted to play Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, which, by the way, I last played two years ago through GeForce NOW. Unfortunately, the title is no longer available. With this, I have practically only three options. I will either put up with this, or buy a sufficiently powerful computer, or look for other cloud services. This title is available as part of Game Pass Ultimate from Xbox Cloud Gaming. The problem is that in that case I would have to own a gamepad and pay for another platform (CZK 339).
I personally see the absence of some titles as the biggest lack of cloud services. Of course, some may argue about the poorer image quality, response, prices and the like, but since I'm an undemanding gamer who only wants to play for relaxation from time to time, I'm willing to overcome these inconveniences.
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I would also appreciate a few words about Google Stadia.
I have been playing on Stadia since its launch in the Czech Republic.
I bought an absolutely great original Google remote from Ebay and pair it with everything via wifi.
You play the game on the iPad, then continue with the remote control on the TV and finish the game on the PC, for example working with a keyboard and mouse.
Great combination of controller and KaM.
1080p 60fps free. Pro for 259.
Overpriced games? Error.
Outriders – 585 CZK
Borderland 3 – CZK 327
Dirt 5 – CZK 279
Doom Eternal - CZK 349
Actions keep repeating over and over. Fewer games, but mostly the best.
If you don't enjoy the game, you can return it within 2 hours, and now you have free demo versions to try for 30 and 120 minutes.
Who has it? ✌️