Google Stadia v. the Competition

Cloud gaming is seeing more and more exposure nowadays, with services like Google Stadia, Xbox xCloud and PlayStation Now competing to become the best in the industry. Game streaming seems to be advantageous, it’s designed to help you avoid those long download times. You get to play the game you want right away, and all you need is a powerful internet connection for everything to work properly. But which one of these game streaming platforms is the best?

Google Stadia

Google Stadia relies on data centers to play the game, and all data is transferred to your device via your internet connection. So there’s no stutter, the only thing you can encounter is lag. At this time Google Stadia only showcased a handful of games, with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Doom Eternal being confirmed at this time.

The platform comes with its own controller, and Google aims to stream games at launch in 4K at 60 FPS. However, they stated they want to improve this in the long run, eventually bringing in support for 8K and 120 FPS streaming. Of course, this will have to rely on 5G connections. The technology is there, but the platform is not launched as of yet, and there aren’t a ton of games either, but hopefully the Google Stadia library increases as the platform launches.

Xbox xCloud

Xbox xCloud might not be available to the public right now, but they did showcase Forza Horizon 4 being played on an Android device with an Xbox controller. They don’t have a streaming service yet, and there’s not a list of games either, but Microsoft-owned and created franchises will certainly be a part of it. Xbox xCloud might support most if not all of the content on the GamePass. The primary focus for this platform is convenience and complete integration for current games. So even if you have an older Xbox, you can still play the latest games if your internet speed is good and you use the Xbox xCloud service.

PlayStation Now

Sony acquired Gaikai’s streaming service in 2012, and since then they constantly worked on PlayStation Now, making the service better and better as time went by. Nowadays you can play some PS2 games as well as most of the PS3 and PS4 library via this streaming service. You can also play it on PC. The problem is that PlayStation Now is quite expensive when compared to other services, but as competition ramps up, we might see a price decrease. The recommended internet speed is at least 5 MBPS, but you will need more than that for a flawless streaming experience.

Which is the best?

At the time of this writing, Google Stadia and Xbox xCloud were only showcased on stage, with PlayStation Now being the only available service. If you want to stream games and play right now, PlayStation Now is certainly the best option. Google’s Stadia certainly holds a lot of promise as it will rely on Google’s data centers to offer a flawless experience. But one thing is certain, all of these need constant internet connectivity and a very fast internet speed too. If you have great internet, it will most likely come down to uptime, game exclusives, and prices as you try to pick the right option to suit your needs!