Cloud gaming has been around for quite some time. Several services have popped up throughout the years.
These companies provide the ability to play games without needing a powerful computer since all the action is happening on the company’s servers.
These services, however, have proved quite a lackluster for many people. How a game performs varies wildly. It may be the user’s slow internet connection, the data center that the game runs on is very far away or the game is not properly optimized, etc. It is, therefore, intriguing how Google has recently announced that its cloud gaming service, Stadia. They will solve every problem that other services have experienced.
How Does Google Stadia Work?
Since a lot of people are not quite sure what cloud gaming is, let’s start with a few basics.
Normally, when a person plays on a computer, the components inside your machine all work together to bring the game to life.
If the hardware is old, however, the newer games played on the system will lag considerably or the game or might not even run at all.
This problem can be solved if you play the game in the cloud. With the Google Stadia Cloud Gaming, for example, the entire process takes place inside one of Google’s data centers. The inputted information is sent via the internet to the data center and the player receives the game’s response.
Simply put, the player uses the controls and the service sends the entire game in video form. The user doesn’t need a powerful PC or the latest and greatest console. You only need a controller and a fast internet connection. The rest is handled by the service.
What You Need
Google says that the only thing you need is a computer with the Google Chrome browser and a controller of your choice (ideally Google’s very own Stadia controller).
When it launches in November, Stadia will require a subscription fee and the user will need to buy the games he wants to play. Sometime in 2020, the service will launch a free tier which provides a Full-HD 60 fps for everyone to experience.
Conclusion
Whether Google Stadia will revolutionize the way we play games remains to be seen, but the future looks promising.