Ever since they started playing video games at home, players have always been forced to buy both a platform (PC or console) and titl...
Ever since they started playing video games at home, players have always been forced to buy both a platform (PC or console) and titles. Things have changed with the advent of digital, which in fact has made it unnecessary (or optional) to buy physical copies on media such as CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray or cartridges. The next step in this evolutionary path is called cloud gaming.
It has been talking about it for some years now. Ultimately, this term is used to indicate services that allow streaming, that is, by delegating to a server the processing of the audio-video segment and the management of artificial intelligence. The user is then able to hold the joypad or use mouse and keyboard to send commands, while from the remote platform receives the signal displayed on the monitor or on the TV as well as the sound emitted by the loudspeakers. Consequently, the only basic requirement to enjoy a satisfying experience is a good Internet connection.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
NVIDIA GeForce NOW also includes cloud gaming platforms. It is proposed with a monthly subscription of 9.99 euros (the first test month is free). Expense that allows access to a catalog consisting of dozens of games without limitation: just select one and launch it, with a 1080p graphic subframe and a framerate that touches 60fps.
We got to try the service on SHIELD TV (2017), midway between an Android TV set-top box and a home console that once connected to the TV offers both gaming and multimedia entertainment features with Support for 4K and HDR. The service is also accessible by SHIELD Tablet and Shield Portable.
As already written, the only true requirement to enter the world of GeForce NOW is a good Internet connection. Official support pages talk about a line at least 10 Mbps to achieve acceptable performance, while 720p graphics and 60fps framing require 20 Mbps. The best (streaming to 1080p, 60 fps) It gets with 50 Mbps. In short: everything is ok with fiber optic or with a powerful ADSL. The test on a 12 Mbps showed some latency and delay but overall gaming experience was not compromised.
