Top 7 Best Cloud Gaming Services
We’ve rounded up the best cloud gaming services you can browse for in 2021.
Computer games are much more popular and have a large audience than ever before during the pandemic period. While it used to be only playable by enthusiasts when they find time from work, we all started to spend time with games as we were empty on the days when we were stuck in our homes due to the epidemic for months. Moreover, games are no longer just things specific to computers and consoles. From your tablet, phone, computer, television; In short, you can play any game you want from any device with the help of cloud game services .
The economic depression that companies and countries have entered in the last two years due to the epidemic caused an excessive increase in the prices of computer hardware. On top of that, the cost of playing the game increased a lot when the popular mining frenzy came. You can hardly get a low/entry-level graphics card now, with a budget that you used to be able to buy a mid-range graphics card. As a result, the cost of accessing the hardware needed to play games has become quite heavy.
Fortunately, among all this, there are cloud gaming services where players can play games for a somewhat “reasonable” fee. In this article, which we compiled from GPUMag , we will take a look at the best cloud gaming services with you.
What is Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming is the transmission of the game to the device of users connected to a server, almost like a live broadcast stream. Depending on which service you subscribe to, your games are accessible from many platforms such as phones, tablets, computers. When using cloud gaming services, you benefit from the hardware power of the server, while the user’s device only takes care of the input/output side of the business. That is, by transmitting the commands required to play the game to the server and displaying the resulting image.
We can say that this is the reason why cloud gaming is such an effective idea. Because subscribers do not need to buy a high-end GPU or CPU in any way. All they have to do is subscribe to any cloud service and have any device that can open a simple web browser. Although it may seem expensive in Turkish conditions, we can say that it is a very convenient service for many people abroad.
Disadvantages of cloud gaming
However, it is not without its drawbacks, for example, response times are vital for many competitive games. Unfortunately, the response time you will receive will be longer than playing on a normal computer, as there will be delays due to the nature of cloud gaming. Because, while you are playing the game, you first make a request to the server and there is a certain delay until then. The server also makes an extra request to the server where the competitive game is played and is waiting for a response, so the latency can be doubled compared to playing on a regular computer.
If you have a user-side lag problem, our article “ How to Reduce Latency in Cloud Gaming ” can help you solve it .
If we talk about another disadvantage, if your internet speed is insufficient or the service you have subscribed to is new, you will not be able to experience the game at very high resolutions. Some cloud services offer 720p resolution, whereas even our tiny phones these days have at least 1440p screens.
Best Cloud Gaming Services
1 – Microsoft xCloud: A Reasonable Option That Comes With Game Pass
We can say that xCloud is one of the promising platforms. It is a project of Microsoft that aims to provide services for consoles, PCs, Android, iOS, in short, all platforms. Currently, you can access this service from any device.
Project xCloud is one of the services that we can say will be ahead in terms of both the number of free games and the library compared to other cloud gaming services, because xCloud, also known as Xbox Cloud Gaming , allows you to play the games in the Xbox store. When you subscribe to the xCloud service, it’s not just subscribing to a cloud gaming service; Whether it’s DOOM Eternal, GTA V, Star Wars, you also have the Xbox Game Pass service, which includes many such AAA games.
This means that in addition to the cloud gaming service, you will have a Game Pass account that you can use when you do not need this service. The price is currently around 45 liras with Game Pass Ultimate . In addition, since it does not serve in Turkey yet, you also have to use a VPN. Most free VPNs are not suitable for gaming due to their high latency, so you have to pay for them as well. Considering that an average VPN service costs 40-45 liras, you still have to spend around 80-90 liras on a monthly basis.
Pros:
- Hundreds of free AAA games with no subscription required
- Access to games on the first day of release
- Low latency values if you are in a location close to servers
Cons:
- You do not have any access to game libraries outside of Xbox Game Pass. So you cannot use your Steam or Epic Games Launcher account with xCloud
- Cloud gaming service with the highest monthly fee ($15). Expensive compared to its competitors
- Does not yet provide service to Turkey and requires a VPN to use
2 – NVIDIA GeForce Now: High Price in Turkey
GeForce Now , one of the cloud gaming solutions developed by NVIDIA , is perhaps the most well-known in this field. Unlike xCloud, games are not offered to you for free in this service. In order to play games, you must link the library of the digital gaming platform you have to your GeForce Now account.
In terms of visual quality, we can say that it offers a very fluent experience as it supports 1080p resolution and 60 FPS . The best service you can choose if you want to play games with RTX on at the highest possible settings . In addition , it is the only cloud gaming service that currently offers service in Turkey through GamePlus , which was established in partnership with Turkcell and NVIDIA . The most criticized aspect is the high package prices determined by the company despite localization.
While the monthly premium account is 74.9 TL , the 3-month premium is 179.7 TL . If the price was 40-50 TL, maybe it would be considered a little more reasonable, but considering the current economic situation for a service that does not include games, 74.9 TL is high for Turkey conditions. If you want to experience this service for free, you only have 1 hour of free access per day. Unfortunately, you have to wait in line for this too, the demand is very high.
Despite everything, if you have a good internet connection, we can say that it is the best cloud gaming service that can be obtained at the moment due to both its availability in Turkey and the quality it offers.
Pros:
- Supports libraries of Steam, Epic, UPlay platforms
- Servers equipped with high-end RTX supported hardware
- Ability to use ray tracing technology in games
- Official servers in Turkey
Cons:
- The games are not free, you need to have purchased them before to play
- If the connected server is busy, there may be a very rare queue and queue waiting situation.
- You are limited to only 1 hour for free
- High pricing according to Turkish conditions
We previously tested the beta of the GeForce Now service. You can watch the video right below.
3 – Shadow: Undetermined, US-Only Focused
Another competitor in the cloud gaming industry is Shadow , whose name is unknown to many . Although it is not a service from giant companies such as Google, Microsoft or Nvidia, it provides a very good quality experience.
Its servers are equipped with GTX 1080s, although it doesn’t have high-end graphics cards that are overly powerful enough to support RTX like GeForce Now. Thus, it is possible to play 1080p 60 FPS games at maximum settings . It is also nice that it offers 144 FPS and 4K support. Shadow is not a big company, but it constantly updates the systems it uses on its servers with more powerful hardware.
Additionally, Shadow is not just a game-playing service. You have full remote access to the server you use throughout your subscription . You can render from these devices and edit photos with Photoshop. So it’s nice to be able to harness the power of Shadow for a reasonable price.
This service, which comes with a fee of 12 dollars, can be considered quite reasonable for abroad. However, Shadow also requires you to own the game to play, like GeForce Now. It doesn’t offer a huge library of free games to access like xCloud does.
Shadow currently keeps its servers mainly in the USA. We do not know what the global market opening targets are. Also, according to reports, Shadow’s parent company Blade went bankrupt in early 2021. That’s why it’s good to be careful.
Pros:
- Supports 4K 60 FPS and 1080p 144 FPS
- Fully open the system to user access, use it freely
Cons:
- Their servers are almost non-existent outside the US.
- The status and future of the company are uncertain.
4 – Vortex: Very Restricted Games, Usage Restricted
Vortex, which is almost one of the first active players in the cloud gaming industry, has a slightly smaller game support compared to other services in this list. The lowest-priced package of Vortex, which adopts the subscription system, is 10 dollars. The number of games you can play is up to 78 in the cheapest subscription. There is a very high probability that you will not be able to find the games you want because of this. For some games, you have to pay a fee and get a license.
In addition, users have the right to play for only 50 hours in 1 month . That means you can play a little over 1.5 hours a day. This is pretty bad. The Pro package gives access to 170 games and 80 hours of play . Although Vortex offers a good 60 FPS experience technically, its packages are not considered reasonable for both foreign and Turkish conditions. We think that it would not make sense to give 10 dollars to a service that does not have a server in our country .
Pros:
- Offers a beautiful 60 FPS experience
- Provides access to up to 78 games (some require licensing at additional cost)
Cons:
- Users are limited to 50 hours on the most basic package and 80 hours on the Pro.
- His games are not very diverse and oh my god.
- Its servers are not located in Turkey and it is expensive for the service it offers, even abroad.
5 – PlayStation Now: For Those Who Want to Play Exclusive Console Games
With many giants entering the cloud gaming industry, Sony did not want to miss this trend and stay behind. PlayStation Now is a cloud gaming service developed by Sony for PS4, PS5 and Windows devices. The most pleasant and perhaps advantageous aspect is that it allows you to play PlayStation’s current special games and old console games from Windows platforms.
It’s a great solution for those who don’t own a console, costing up to $10 per month. Because you will be able to play games that are exclusive to PlayStation via PC/Windows with this service . You no longer have to have a PlayStation to experience a The Last Of Us 1 and 2 , all games in the God of War series, productions such as Bloodborne . Also, you don’t need to pay additional fees to access the games, similar to xCloud. You have unlimited access to direct PlayStation games.
In order to use PlayStation Now properly, you need to have a DualShock, especially a DS4 . Unfortunately, DualSense that comes with PS5 is not supported.
But unfortunately, some aspects are also infuriating. For example , users say that the lag is disastrous when using this service on Windows . Also, many people complain that the interface is very bad. Another problem is that Sony constantly removes games from the library. Your favorite game may disappear overnight, and you may experience the shock of your life in the morning.
However, these are problems that can be fixed, if you want to experience PlayStation-exclusive games without a console, you can choose PlayStation Now. Note that they do not currently have servers in Turkey.
Pros:
- Allowing Windows users to play PlayStation exclusive games
- Supports games up to PS2
- 1080p 60 FPS image quality
- No additional fees or library linking required for games
Cons:
- Many games are locked at 30 FPS despite supporting 60 FPS.
- Too much lag when playing on Windows
- Sony suddenly removes games from library
- No official servers in Turkey
6 – Google Stadia: Even If You Own The Game, You Should Buy It Again
Google Stadia was one of the platforms that was quite the event when it first came out. Maybe we can say that it was the service that people who dream of cloud acting most excitedly awaited and hoped for.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like a viable option at the moment. The low number of games in its library, the fact that the developer studios were closed by Google even though special games were promised when it first came out, the fact that you have to buy the game you already own and you cannot use this license anywhere other than Stadia makes Stadia one of the worst choices in this area .
As for the image quality, it is somewhat more satisfactory. It offers a 4K 60 FPS gaming experience for $9.99 per month . Still, we are not sure about Google’s plans for Stadia, we should point out that it looks like a platform that can be unplugged at any time.
Pros:
- Allows you to play games in very high quality (4K 60 FPS)
Cons:
- $9.99 is too expensive for a platform where we buy games extra and can’t use them elsewhere
- The variety of games in the library is low
- Exclusive game promise not kept
- Not officially in Turkey
You can watch our detailed video of Stadia experience below.
7 – Amazon Luna: One of the Most Reasonable Platforms, Still in Testing
Amazon Luna was an Amazon service that we previously reviewed with video. It has a cheaper pricing than all the options we have counted so far. It’s only $5.99 per monthThis pricing is likely to change in the future.
Luna’s beta phase is not yet over and it has a lot of shortcomings. Also, there is no server in Turkey for now. You can watch our video below, in which we have experienced this service and conveyed what we know in detail.
Pros:
- Cheaper than its competitors.
- 1080p 60 FPS support
- Large library of games and free games
Cons:
- It’s still in beta, with a lot of shortcomings.
- They don’t have servers in Turkey.
So Which Should You Choose?
In fact, the only option we can say that you can easily get right now among all the cloud gaming platforms we have counted is NVIDIA’s GeForce Now service. The fact that they have servers in Turkey and that they are officially present is a sufficient reason for this. In addition, ray tracing support, the ability to play the games you have on digital gaming platforms, and wide game support are also great.
If Microsoft xCloud enters our country with a suitable local price, it will be a very logical option for many players, because we think that the Game Pass and free access to games will make xCloud stand out compared to other services.
Amazon Luna is one of the trusted services because of its Amazon name. Because we know that Amazon’s hand is very, very strong on the cloud side. In case he enters Turkey, making this service available within the scope of Amazon Prime will increase the competition considerably.