2020 was the year cloud gaming grew up.
We went from one burgeoning platform to three. Despite the loss of Stadia in 2023, xCloud has matured into a full-fat service, with startups like Boosteroid offering a competitive PC library. The space is getting crowded — and that's a good thing.
It's not exactly mainstream yet. The future isn't evenly distributed. The tech only really works for those with access to good internet. The end-to-end stream is bad for the environment. The libraries are piecemeal. And it's anyone's guess as to how long you really own a game for.
So the reception has been mixed. The internet, predictably, hates it, as it hates everything new. The player has to be a bit of a nerd to make the tech work. But among us players who can use it, and want to use it — well, we're delighted.
It feels like the future. We'll see. In the meantime, perhaps this will help you find your next cloud gaming experience.
Just a nerd who is into cloud gaming. Sometimes I write about games.
You can write to techmodelrrclub@gmail.com . Be nice.