In March 2019, Google caused a sensation in the gaming market by introducing its cloud service Stadia. The IT giant promised a revolution in the world of modern gaming: no need to buy consoles or powerful computers to play. It would be enough to have an internet connection and subscribe to the Stadia service.
Other IT companies such as Sony, Microsoft, and NVIDIA were horrified. A strong competitor entered the gaming market, where they were the kings, and threatened to not only cut their profits but completely drive them out of the gaming industry. To avoid this, they hurriedly developed their own cloud equivalents. Thus, a multitude of services appeared on the gaming market, all doing the same thing - allowing gamers to play video games without powerful computers or consoles.
To everyone's surprise, in September 2022, Google announced the closure of the Stadia platform. Apparently, the promised revolution was postponed indefinitely. But what happened? Why did the cloud gaming service, which was supposed to change the gaming landscape, cease to exist? What happened to the similar services of other companies? Today, we will answer these questions and also talk about the current cloud platforms.
Cloud Gaming Problems
Before delving into the reasons for the closure of Stadia and the problems with cloud services, let's understand what they are. Cloud gaming refers to the method of playing games without a powerful computer or console. The game is launched on a remote server, and the image is streamed to your device, be it a smartphone, TV, or low-end laptop. The main advantage of cloud gaming is obvious - it allows you to save money by not having to buy expensive computers or consoles.
This method can truly be called revolutionary. Since the 1970s, video games have always required computing hardware to run. It started with arcades, then consoles, and now personal computers.
Other advantages of cloud gaming include:
- No need to update or install games;
- No need to worry about storage space;
- Ability to play not only on PCs but also on smartphones, tablets, and TVs.
Despite the obvious advantages of cloud gaming services, they still have not become popular. The reason lies in their drawbacks, many of which ultimately led to the downfall of Google Stadia. The main problems with cloud gaming services are:
- Long queues;
- Increased input lag;
- Inability to play offline;
- Low quality streaming image;
- Video frame rate limited to 60 FPS;
- The need for a stable internet connection;
- Inability to install modifications and other third-party files.
Next, we will discuss each drawback in detail.
Long queues
Returning home in the evening after work or school, all you want to do is relax and play games. You approach your laptop, launch the cloud service, click on your favorite game, and see the following message: "Your queue position: 140." The only thing left for you to do is wait.
One hour passes, then another, a third, and you finally manage to get into the game. But it's already late at night, and tomorrow morning you have to go to work or school again. You have no choice but to turn off the laptop and go to sleep without playing your favorite game.
This situation plagues all modern cloud gaming services. Even premium subscriptions, which can cost several times more than the basic ones, don't help.
Increased input lag
When a gamer presses a button or moves the mouse, the game does not respond immediately but after a certain period of time. This is called input lag.
The reaction time of adults is around 200-250 milliseconds. When the input lag of a game is about one-third of this value, gamers do not feel discomfort. But once the input lag reaches around 120 milliseconds or higher, problems arise. Gamers feel that the game responds slowly to their commands, and the gameplay becomes sluggish and less responsive.
One of the main problems of cloud gaming services is the input lag, which can reach 250 milliseconds. These are unplayable values. It is impossible to enjoy gameplay that is "so prolonged.
The input lag problem consists of three components:
- network latency – the time it takes for a command from the player to reach the servers and return back to their device;
- processing latency – the time the server needs to process the command and make changes to the gameplay;
- frame decoding delay – the time your device needs to unpack, decode, and display the received image on screen.
Inability to play offline
You will always be tied to an internet connection. It will not be possible to download the game and continue playing it where there is no network connection.
Low quality of streaming graphics
The quality of the transmission to your device will be significantly lower than the graphics you could get from running the game on a powerful computer. This is because ordinary video is being sent to your smartphone, tablet, or TV. It inevitably undergoes compression and decompression artifacts, breaking the picture into small square blocks.
Limited frame rate
If you decide to play in the cloud, don't expect to see more than 60 frames per second. You won't be able to set 120 or 240 FPS in a dynamic multiplayer shooter. Services always restrict the frame rate to 60, and some, like Gatoga, even limit it to 30 when the internet speed is low.
Need for a good internet connection
To play games through a cloud gaming service, you will need a minimum internet speed of 15 Mbps, preferably 25 Mbps. Furthermore, the network must be stable: it should not drop or interrupt data transmission.
Inability to install modifications and other third-party files
By launching a game in the cloud, you don't own anything, you simply rent it for a while. Gaming services are like those "computer clubs" from the past, where you don't own anything. Mods, reshades, trainers, cheats - you won't be able to install any of these on your game to add new emotions and enjoyment.
In addition to Google Stadia, the top most well-known cloud gaming services for weak PCs are Xbox Cloud by Microsoft and PlayStation Now by Sony.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cloud gaming is a solution that cannot replace a powerful gaming computer. The problems of long queues, high latency, and low graphics quality prevent enjoying gameplay.
Cloud gaming services provide an opportunity to get closer to the world of real gaming, but not to fully experience it. Therefore, not only today but also in the coming decades, a comfortable gaming experience will require a powerful home computer.
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