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What Is Cloud Gaming and How Does It Work?
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Cloud Gaming is one of the most popular forms of gaming today. In this article, we will be breaking down what it is, how it works, and what you need to get started.
What Exactly Is Cloud Gaming?
What is Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming is also referred to as gaming on-demand or gaming-as-a-service. This is internet gaming in which video games are not only hosted on remote servers but also directly streamed to a user’s device. Others put it as playing a game from the cloud.
In layman’s terms, it is a streaming service that offers high-quality content at the expense of internet bandwidth and server resources. Users pay for access to upgraded technology to stream content and, at the same time, cloud gaming businesses generally function on a subscription basis.
SEE ALSO: 13 Best Gaming Headsets On Amazon
How Does Cloud-Based Gaming Work?
In cloud gaming, services are hosted on remote servers. The approach of these servers may differ. Nonetheless, their job is to handle the heavy lifting.
These remote servers handle the graphics and other processing required to render games. In a server farm, you’ll usually find a lot of these servers crammed onto a single rack or row of racks. The client device then receives an interactive video feed from these servers where you, as the game’s end-user, can then interact with it.
While the goal is to shift much of the intense processing to the cloud, some lighter processes must still be performed locally on the gadget of the client. These lighter processes like the ability to handle button pushes, mouse movements, and keystrokes, among other things are then sent back to the servers.
As a direct result, you’re able to actually play the game.
The obvious bonus is that the processing power falls on the server’s side, reducing the required minimum specs of the client’s device.
Are There Any Free Ones?
There are a number of free cloud gaming servers for both PC and mobile. To name a few, these are:
Want more information on the popular Steam platform? Check out this Steam Beginner’s Guide video from GamingTaylor on YouTube.
What is the Best Free Cloud Gaming?
You can start playing those above-mentioned free cloud gaming servers for a certain period, after which you will have to pay for a subscription to continue on with additional features.
Steam Cloud is one cloud server where you can play multiple games for free.
What is Required for Cloud Gaming?
Cloud gaming eliminates the need to upgrade powerful gear every few years. But, It does have some significant drawbacks. A reliable internet connection with low latency is required.
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How Fast Should My Internet Be?
While a super-fast connection isn’t required, many of these services will scale up or down depending on your available bandwidth.
And as mentioned above, you will require a connection with extremely low latency. The higher the latency of your connection, the longer it takes for data to be transferred to and from the servers.
Unfortunately, while many individuals can benefit from cloud gaming, it is not yet ready for the rest of the world. This is because of the high bandwidth and infrastructure requirements, other countries are unable to make use of this type of service.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that cloud gaming is still in its early stages. And, thanks to significant technological advancements and wireless infrastructures, such as Wi-Fi 6 and 5G, the gap will continue to narrow. Still, our consoles and computers, on the other hand, aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
