Cloud gaming is something that we fell in love with when it was announced. Everyone was able to play from home, in 4K and 60 FPS on their TV, smartphone or computer, with no need to spend money on a console or a graphics card.
The graphic quality would be handled by cloud servers, we only needed a controller (or a keyboard and a mouse), a screen, and a good internet connection. Cloud Gaming was strongly recognized in 2018, and we are now in 2024: Has anything advanced?
Between Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud Gaming and others, finding the right cloud gaming service for you can be an odyssey in itself. It can be a confusing decision, and few people understand the different options.
Some cloud gaming services offer a wide catalog of games for a subscription fee, while others allow you to bring your own games from Steam and other stores.
Each cloud gaming service has its own catalog of compatible games, along with different levels of video quality and compatibility with different devices. There is a lot to consider.
Which cloud gaming services have subscription catalogs?
Many cloud gaming services have adopted the Netflix model: A subscription plan with a rotating catalog of games. These are your options for subscription-based cloud gaming:
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes over 400 games for $20 per month and is required for streaming through Xbox Cloud Gaming.
- Amazon Luna offers two main subscription tiers: Prime subscribers get a small selection of games at no additional cost, while Luna + subscribers get over 100 games for $10 per month.
- Amazon also sells separate subscriptions for third-party publishers: Ubisoft+ includes over 45 games for $18 per month (plus downloadable games on Xbox and PC), and Jackbox Games includes over 50 third-party games for $5 per month.
- PlayStation Plus Premium includes access to over 1,200 streaming games according to Cloud Gaming Catalogue, priced at $18 per month or $160 per year.
Which cloud gaming services allow you to play your own games?
If you already have a PC or a portable device (like the Steam Deck), you may prefer a streaming service that allows you to play games you have already purchased in stores, like Steam and GOG.
Unfortunately, only a subset of games from each store is compatible with streaming, and each cloud gaming service supports a different list of digital stores, so you will have to choose wisely.
These are your streaming game options:
- Nvidia GeForce Now supports games from Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Store, Ubisoft, and Battle.net. Access is free for one-hour gaming sessions (with ads), $10 per month for up to six consecutive hours, or $20 per month for up to eight consecutive hours.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming only supports games from the Xbox Store, and you still need a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Amazon Luna supports game purchases from Ubisoft and GOG, and requires a Prime or Luna+ subscription to play.
- PS5 Cloud Streaming only supports games from the PlayStation Store, and you will need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to access them through streaming.
- Boosteroid supports games from Steam, Epic Game Store, Xbox Store, Battle.net, and Wargaming.net, with access through subscriptions starting at $11 per month.
Which cloud gaming services support 4K resolution, ultrawide monitors, and high frame rates?
At the time of writing this, only two cloud gaming services support video quality higher than 1080p at 60 FPS. Both options are expensive, but potentially more cost-effective than spending thousands of dollars building your own high-end gaming computer.
- Nvidia GeForce Now offers compatibility with ultrawide monitors and can stream in 4K at 120 FPS (or in 1080p at 240 FPS) with GTX 4080 graphics in its $20 per month Ultimate plan.
- Boosteroid supports 4K at 120 FPS in its $20 per month plan.
What cloud gaming services allow you to play for free?
Unfortunately, most game streaming services do not offer free tiers or trial options without commitment. Here are the ones that do:
- Nvidia GeForce Now has a free tier with ads and one-hour gaming sessions, after which you get disconnected. Additionally, you will play with weaker hardware than the paid tiers.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming offers free access to Fortnite without the need for a subscription. Unfortunately, that’s all.
- Utomik currently offers a seven-day free trial that does not require a credit card to sign up.
Which devices support these cloud gaming services?
Even the best cloud gaming service is useless if it doesn’t work with the devices you have. Below, we show you the compatibility of each service with their devices:
- Nvidia GeForce Now: Web browsers, Windows, Mac, Android, Android TV, Samsung and LG TVs.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming: Web browsers, PC, Android, Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max, Samsung TVs, Xbox consoles.
- Amazon Luna: Web browsers, Android, Fire TV, Samsung TVs, LG TVs.
- PS5 Cloud Streaming: PlayStation 5, PC (only for PS4 games).
- Boosteroid: Web browsers, PC, Mac, Linux, Android, Android TV, LG TVs.
