what is cloud gaming? 

“The cloud” refers to a collection of internet servers that stores data for you. You can access this data via an internet connection almost anywhere in the world. These supercomputers do all the heavy lifting on their end, rendering your game and sending a video stream back. A key benefit of cloud gaming is experiencing no download times, alongside being able to play anywhere.

All you need is a screen! As the main work is being accomplished elsewhere, cloud gaming provides ultimate freedom as you game away on your mobile, tablet, tv, or even fridge.

“Can it run Doom” has emerged in recent years showcasing the classic 1993 FPS Shooter being run on a multitude of strange devices (such as a Canon EOS camera). With the rise of cloud gaming, this tradition can now proudly continue as keen players follow their dreams of playing the latest DOOM game on their fridges whilst the kettle boils.

what options are there?

PlayStation Plus | Extra – The premium level of PS+ subscription unlocks the streaming of both classic & current games for the monthly cost of £14.49 a month, or £99.99 a year. PlayStation users can browse a library of both PlayStation and 3^rd party titles from their console.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – Similar in operation to their competitor, Xbox offers their entire back-catalogue of games to play via the cloud, starting at £10.99 a month. Going the extra mile, first-party releases are included as launch titles providing an extra bang for your buck!

Nvidia GeForce Now – The last option takes a different approach to cloud gaming from its console-based brethren. Rather than streaming games to your hardware, Nvidia instead allow you to stream an entire gaming pc which then runs your existing library of games, starting at £8.99, this option provides a cost-effective entry into PC gaming.

So, what’s holding users back from fully embracing cloud gaming? Disappointing download, underwhelming upload & internet reactions that put the late into latency.

what’s the difference?

 You might see these phrases interchangeably; however, they account for different things.

Latency – How long it takes a packet of data to get from your connected device to the server.

Jitter – How your ping changes over time and is generally considered more important than ping when gaming.

Packet loss – How much data is lost between your device and the server.

The focus for these stats is the gaming community (especially competitive multiplayer games.) Why? As split-second button presses can make the difference between winning or losing.

Ping is measured in milliseconds with anything from 100 – 50 ms considered fair. Higher? You can expect to encounter laggy gameplay and pixelated screens with noticeable input lag.

fixing poor ping

By running a speed test online – you’ll be able to see your current internet speeds & ping/latency stats. If yours is a little high, there are a few ways to squeeze better performance out of your existing broadband package.

Getting better ping performance doesn’t need to be a massive or expensive task. In fact, from as little as £5 you can get a better ping, reduce packet loss, and increase your available download/upload speeds! Ethernet cables allow you to hard-wire your devices to benefit from a stronger connection overall.

Sometimes the best way to get faster internet is to upgrade your old connection! Fibre-optic connections benefit from less signal interference when compared to old copper broadband. With full-fibre broadband, your line comes directly into your home guaranteeing maximum performance.