Microsoft bought Activision agen96 login Blizzard, the studio behind the popular shooter franchise, in 2023. As part of the acquisition, Microsoft promised not to restrict Activision Blizzard games to Xbox consoles. At the time this ensured games like Call of Duty would still be on PlayStation consoles. Some, like CNET’s Corinne Reichert, hoped it meant games like Starcraft 2 would come to systems like the Nintendo Switch. Now it seems Microsoft also meant it wouldn’t limit those games to only consoles. PlayStation Plus on PC is Sony’s follow-up to its now shuttered PlayStation Now service, and while their heart seems to be there, it still has some catching up to do.
The more, the merrier here for higher video quality and lag-free gaming. You’re allowed to play games solo or through couch co-op with a friend. There are even minigame challenges and worldwide tournaments to take part in through AntStream Arcade.
In addition, it offers access to many games not available on GeForce NOW via a Cloud PC like model where users install games into their own private cloud drives. It allows you to stream games you already own from various digital stores. Xbox Cloud Gaming is included as a perk in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The Best Cloud Gaming Services In 2025
For instance, it makes it possible to play PC games on a macOS computer. Traditionally, gaming requires upfront hardware investments in the form of a gaming console or a gaming PC. Additionally, you have to physically or digitally acquire the games that you want to play (which further increases the price of a decent gaming experience). There are 5 factors that decide which cloud gaming service you choose, and they are listed below. AntStream Arcade works on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox, and various Android devices. In addition to playing the many available retro games through the AntStream Arcade app, you can do so through your internet browser.
What Is Cloud Gaming: Pros, Cons, & Services
Largely, you can access quite a few games, including many PlayStation exclusives from the original PlayStation through PlayStation 4, but we did run into a few issues. While we picked Game Pass to go at the top of this list, and believe it to be the best cloud service, they all do slightly different things, so other services will be better than it in certain ways. Meanwhile, if you’re somebody who still uses an Xbox One, Game Pass actually gives you a way to play Xbox Series X exclusives (or some of them, anyway). Admittedly, it isn’t as smooth as running the games natively, but it’s still a great way to experience them. In 2024, Microsoft also rolled out Xbox cloud gaming for the Fire TV series of products. Read more about which cloud gaming provider is available on which device here.
Rather than buying PC hardware or consoles, you pay a monthly subscription to access powerful hardware and a game library via the cloud. You can enjoy high-resolution and high-frame-rate games with only a modestly powerful device and a strong internet connection. Cloud gaming is a method of playing video games using remote servers in data centers.
You can use it to store anything (movies, music, photos, files, etc.), but most notably, you can use it to store and play your games. We’ve picked out our choices for the best cloud gaming services, from Game Pass to GeForce Now, to provide a handy entry point to the cloud gaming world. On top of that, many services offer support for a vast selection of free-to-play games like Rocket League or Path of Exile.
Additionally, it’s important to check which DRM platforms each service supports. If you already own a large library on a platform like Steam, you’d want to ensure your cloud gaming service can support it. It’s all about streaming high-end games directly from the cloud to your device. But, with so many options out there, choosing the best cloud gaming service can be overwhelming. PlayStation’s cloud gaming service comes bundled with certain PlayStation Plus tiers, giving players access to classic and modern PlayStation titles.
Then there are services where you’re buying the game before you can stream it over the cloud platform. Since you’re streaming games from a server that could be dozens or hundreds of miles away, you’re going to have higher latency compared with gaming on your own device. A survey conducted by Liquid Web found that 62% of gamers would “switch to cloud gaming full-time if latency were eliminated.”
This makes it a great option for established gamers with an overflowing hard drive. Steam, the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and more are all supported, although not every game in their catalogs is compatible with GeForce NOW. The company is committed to growing its library of supported software, with new content announced weekly. It also offers a convenient way to search its roster for specific games. Best of all, the Game Pass catalog continues to grow every month.
Equally as important as your connection speed is your latency (ping), the value that measures how long data packages need to travel between your home network and the cloud service’s data centers. Nvidia recommends a maximum of 80 ms latency to their servers, with 40 ms being a more optimal number. If you plan to use your phone as your cloud gaming device of choice, make sure you have a controller ready that can be connected to your phone via bluetooth. Both the current Playstation and Xbox controller can be used to play cloud games on your phone.
As opposed to many cloud gaming services, Shadow PC transforms whatever platform you’re playing on into a full computer. By connecting to remote servers, you access computer hardware to play games on your smartphone and tablet. This means Shadow PC is a great choice for mobile casual gamers and PC players alike. While many cloud gaming services work through specific apps or existing platforms, Boosteroid offers the same but through your internet browser. Therefore, if you want to do most of your gaming through your internet browser, then Boosteroid is a decent option.
Now that you know what exactly Cloud Gaming is and what are its advantages and disadvantages. As we stated previously that bandwidth could be a huge issue in gaming through the Cloud. This has been tried to be countered with the help of compression, and while it does do the job fine on most occasions.