Cloud services to play on weak PCs, relevant in 2019

The volume of the games market is estimated at $ 140 billion. Every year the market expands, new companies find their niche, and old players are also developing. One of the most actively developing gaming trends is cloud games, when launching a novelty does not need a powerful PC or the latest generation console.

According to the analytical agency IHS Markit, last year gaming services offering games "in the cloud" earned $ 387 million . By 2023, analysts predict growth to $ 2.5 billion. Every year the number of companies that are engaged in the development of cloud gaming is growing. Now the market is best known 5-6 players, which recently joined Google. What do they offer?

Google stadia

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Since we mentioned the corporation, we’ll start with it, despite the fact that it is completely new to the cloud gaming industry. On March 19, the company spoke about its new digital gaming platform, called Stadia. In addition, the company introduced a new controller. The developers have added a button to the usual functionality that allows you to launch a gameplay broadcast on YouTube with one click.

In order to attract gamers, the company offered them Doom Eternal, developed by iD Software. You can play with 4K resolution. Also available is Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.

The corporation promised that every gamer will receive a “machine” in the cloud with a capacity of at least 10 TFlops - one and a half times more powerful than the Xbox One X. As for the connection (this is the first question that worries the user who wants to try cloud gaming), during the demonstration the game in Assassin's Creed Odyssey connection went through WiFI, the response time was 166 ms. The indicator is poorly compatible with comfortable gaming, and for multiplayer it is unacceptable at all, but we are still talking about an early technical demonstration. The maximum resolution is 4K with 60 fps.

The Linux operating system and the Vulkan API are used to support Stadia. The service is fully compatible with the popular game engines Unreal Engine 4, Unity and Havok, as well as many software tools for developing computer games.

How much is it? It is not clear yet, but Google is unlikely to make its service much more expensive than similar products offered by competitors. It can be assumed that the cost of the subscription will be about $ 20-30 per month.

Distinctive features. The company said that its service is cross-platform (it runs under any popular OS on hardware platforms such as a tablet, PC, phone, etc.). Plus, the company offered its own controller.

PlayStation Now (ex-Gaikai)

Unlike Google, this service can be called a veteran of the game world. The company was founded in 2008, in 2012 it was bought by the Japanese company Sony for $ 380 million. In 2014, the corporation changed the name of the service to “brand” and somewhat changed its capabilities. The service was launched in the winter of 2014, initially it was available for players from the USA, and then it was opened for players from other countries.

The service allows you to play a large number of games directly in the "cloud" using the PS3, PS4, PS Vita and other game consoles. A little later, the service became available for users of personal computers. PC requirements are as follows:

• OS: Windows 8.1 or Windows 10;
• Processor: Intel Core i3 with a clock frequency of 3.5 GHz or AMD A10 with a clock frequency of 3.8 GHz or more;
• Free hard disk space: at least 300 MB;
• RAM: 2 GB or more.

The service library currently contains more than 600 games. As for the channel width, optimal for the game, the bandwidth below 20 Mbps is not recommended. In this case, lags and periodic “flying out” of the game can be observed.

The controller is best to use Dualshock 4, because without it, the passage of some games (most console exclusives) can be difficult.

How much is it? Sony offers a three-month subscription with a price of $ 44.99 for all three months. You can also use a monthly subscription, but then the service will be 25% more expensive, that is, for three months you will have to pay not $ 44.99, but $ 56.

Distinctive features. The whole service is tied to console games from Sony. As mentioned above, for the game it is better to use a controller for PS4.

Vortex

Not the most famous service, the difference between which from all the others is the ability to play directly in the browser (although Google Stadia seems to promise the same functionality, but at the time of this writing it was impossible to verify this). If desired, the player can use not only a PC, but also a smart TV, laptop or even a phone. In the service catalog - more than 100 games. The requirements for the Internet channel are about the same as those of other services - the speed should not be less than 20 Mbit / s, and better - more.

How much is it? For $ 9.99 per month, a player gets 100 hours of playing time. It turns out that one hour of the game costs gamers 9 cents.

Distinctive features. You can play in the Chrome browser, in an application for Windows 10 and on devices with Android OS. Game service is universal.

Playkey

Very well-known domestic project, about which they have written more than once on Habré. The basis of the service is Nvidia Grid, although in 2018 there was information about the use of Playkey desktop video cards in Playkey, such as the GeForce 1060Ti. The company has been operating since 2012, but the service was opened for players at the end of 2014. Currently, more than 250 games are connected, and the Steam, Origin and Epic Store platforms are also supported. This means that you can run any game that you have on your account on any of these platforms. Even if in the Playkey catalog the game itself is not represented.

According to the service, now the cloud gaming platform is used every day by players from 15 countries. More than 100 servers are running to maintain the gaming environment. Servers are located in Frankfurt and Moscow.

The company has entered into partnership agreements with 15 leading game publishers, including Ubisoft, Bandai and Wargaming. Earlier, the project managed to attract $ 2.8 million from the European Venture Fund.

The service is developing quite actively, now it, apart from purely gaming services, has begun to offer servers of its development, sharpened under the "clouds". Other companies can use them - for example, to create their own gaming service. Developers and publishers of games, digital stores, and the media will be able to use such servers; they will be able to demonstrate to the reader a new game they write about — anyone who is interested or may be interested in running games in the cloud.

How much is it? The price tag starts from 1290 rubles for 70 hours of play. The most advanced tariff is unlimited, 2290 rubles (~ $ 35) per month without restrictions. At the time of the preparation of the text there were rumors about a change in the business model and the cancellation of subscriptions. Experimentally, the service previously launched the sale of game time packages at the rate of 60-80 r (~ $ 1) for 1 hour of play. Perhaps this particular model will become the main one.

Distinctive features. The company operates both on the b2c (business client) and b2b (business-to-business) model. Users can not only play on the cloud, but also create their own cloud infrastructure. In addition to the game catalog, the service supports entire platforms, including Steam, Origin and the Epic Store. You can run any game available to them.

Parsec Cloud Gaming

A relatively new service that has entered into a partnership agreement with Equinix. Partners optimize gaming hardware and software so that the service environment works as efficiently as possible. It is worth noting that Parsec supports work with Amazon Web Services, in addition, the company works with Paperspace, the developer of optimized virtual machines based on GPU.

Parsec has its own Cloud Marketplace, which provides not only the ability to rent a virtual server, but also dynamically turn it on and off. You will have to adjust everything yourself, but the plus is that it can be not only games, but also software that is needed for work - for example, rendering videos.

The advantage of the service is that it is not tied to the hosting. In order to start playing, just find a server with a GPU that is suitable for the price. There are such servers in Russia, including Moscow . Thus, the ping will be minimal.

How much is it? Parsec has a rather complicated pricing, which periodically causes heated debates on reddit and other resources. The price tag is best found on the site.

Distinctive features . To get started, you need to order the assembly of the gaming machine "on the other side." Then set up the game and play. In addition, the server can be used for a variety of purposes, including mining (previously it was profitable), and not just games. The service offers its services not only to ordinary gamers, but also to other companies.

Drova

A relatively young company whose developers have implemented the opportunity not only to play in the cloud, but also to give up their car for other players. Of course, this virtual lease. This, in fact, is about p2p gaming.

For the service itself, the choice of the scheme of work in which gaming computers are rented is beneficial. First of all, the fact that it all scales. The main task of the service is not the purchase of gaming machines, but a gradual increase in the community with the involvement of new users through social networks, gaming tournaments and other events.

The cost of the game is about 50 rubles per hour. Thus, if a gamer does not play around the clock, but, say only from time to time, then for 1000 rubles you can get a lot of pleasure for a small (relatively) money.

How much is it? 50 rubles per hour.

Distinctive features. The company, in fact, leases gaming facilities from its customers, who want to make money on their PCs. Another feature is getting the entire physical machine at your disposal, and not a share of “cloud time”.

Shadow

A service that is similar to most of those already described above. Nevertheless, it is no worse and copes with its task - it allows you to play modern games on old PCs and laptops. Its cost is $ 35 per month, the subscription is unlimited, so that a gamer can play at least around the clock, no one will limit it. At its core, Shadow is similar to Parsec - by paying a subscription, a gamer has at its disposal a dedicated server on which to run any application. But, of course, most subscribers start the game.


You can play on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

How much is it? $ 35 per month without limits.

Distinctive features. The service is universal, you can play on almost any platform, if only the Internet channel is fast enough.

Loudplay

Russian game server, which rents a server with new video cards. The rental price starts from 30 rubles per hour. The developers claim that at a network connection speed of 10 Mbit / s, games with a 1080 resolution go at 60 fps. Players can access any games from Steam, Battlenet, Epic Games, Uplay, Origin and other sources.

How much is it? From 30 rubles per hour of play.

Distinctive features. Now the company cooperates with Huawei Cloud, gradually transferring its services to the platform of this company. As far as can be understood, this is done to improve the speed and increase the quality of the game broadcast.

Geforce now

Service started in 2016. All calculations are performed on NVIDIA servers, with NVIDIA Tesla P40 accelerators. As in other services, for a comfortable game using Geforce Now you need a wide Internet channel with a bandwidth of at least 10 Mbps, although the more, the better. Previously, the service was available only to users of Nvidia Shield devices, now it is also available to owners of Windows or Mac based systems. The service is running in beta mode, to connect you need to leave a request and wait for approval.

You can only play the games that a user has in the Steam, Uplay or Battle.net library, or the games that are provided on these services for free. While Geforce Now is in beta, it is free for users. Broadcast is conducted in the resolution of Full HD (1920x1080) at a frequency of 60 frames per second.

How much is it? At the moment (the test period) service is free.

Distinctive features. Geforce Now is in beta, you can wait for approval for a few weeks. Handling games on powerful servers with NVIDIA Tesla P40.

Currently relevant are the services listed above. Yes, there are others, but most work in demo mode, allowing players or developers to perform a limited number of tasks. There are, for example, even solutions on the blockchain, but most of them are not even in the alpha version - they exist only as a concept.