Cloud-based gaming has proven to be a failed concept in the past. Back in 2019, Google came up with their game streaming platform Stadia; Sony also tried its hand with PlayStation Plus; and even Microsoft has joined in with Xbox Game Pass, sadly to no avail.
Nvidia, too, had dominated PC game cloud streaming with its GeForce Now service. However, these platforms failed, and the words of former PlayStation chairman Shawn Layden came true: the world is not ready for this technology yet.
Why Cloud-Based Gaming Is Impractical
In the past, companies have made expansive efforts to help game streaming take off, but their efforts have not yet been able to materialize in any sense. Each and every game streaming platform has had a sad past, which has turned it into a taboo that one should not tackle for years to come.
This becomes further clear after the failed attempts of tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Sony. Google shut down Stadia, and both Xcloud and PS Plus subscriptions are merely used to test games rather than becoming viable to actually play long sessions.
In an interview with IGN, Laden was asked about his thoughts on the future of game streaming on the verge of transitioning into Netflix of gaming, to which he replied:
As far as the ‘Netflix of gaming,’ I don’t see that happening any time soon…successfully.
Laden stresses the fact that the technology for that to happen is not yet widely accessible to the public as of now and it is really difficult to see a Netflix of gaming in his lifetime, if not never. He is a firm believer in maintaining the novelty of games, given the huge requirements needed to run them on systems and the tech required to provide the same experience through cloud-based systems.
Laden has always been skeptical about something like a mythical ‘Netflix of gaming‘ popping up shortly and changing the face of gaming forever. Gaming, in principle, is very different from films, as games require large amounts of power to run, and the world is not yet advanced enough to build a cloud powerful enough to cater to it.
Something Similar to Netflix of Gaming is already there and thriving, just not on PlayStation
Having talked about the negative connotations of Cloud-based gaming, there is still a silver lining and what comes very close to that idea of gaming is the Xbox Game Pass subscription with EA Play and Ubisoft Connect, which is a very successful model for players all around the world across platforms and comes very close to the idea of being a Netflix of Gaming.
However, it is far from a game streaming platform and only offers a library full of titles that only provide you with the option of downloading games, not the promise of streaming them on the platform itself.
It acts as a paid torrent platform that gives access to some of the exclusive titles for you to download and enjoy on a compatible device, with no promise of running the game on your behalf.
What do you feel about the future of streaming games and cloud-based gaming? Let us know in the comments.
