They say every cloud has a silver lining. Thanks to cloud technologies, that proverbial silver lining might as well be a line of servers. Paraphrasing aside, gaming has been a perennial beneficiary of technological advancements. Smartphone penetration and 5G communication have made gaming a household pastime.
From assembling friends over for a rummy game a decade back, to the more convenient times of today, all you need to do now is download a rummy app and start playing. Cloud technology is the next step for gaming in the digital era. Among other things, it will further bring down the boundaries and limitations of gaming. The need for gaming hardware and its regular updates may become a thing of the past. With cloud technology, the user experience in gaming is likely to change forever.
How Cloud Gaming Works
The introduction of 5G has made the gaming experience a lot faster. Cloud tech is accelerating this speed even further. Portable devices generally used for gaming, like laptops, smartphones and tablets, can now stream very high-end video games at a very fast speed.
Using cloud tech, gaming platforms can stream the games to a receiving device through fast internet. It will be somewhat like watching a movie or a web series on OTT platforms like Netflix and Hotstar. Like these OTT platforms, gaming platforms may offer subscription services to cover the cost of server capacity and internet bandwidth.
The Tech Enriching Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is powered by remote servers located in data centres. Cloud games may be based on video streaming or file streaming. In PC and console gaming, games are designed to run on specific configurations only. However, there is no processing involved in the receiving device, so the cloud game is played by utilising the internet and streaming video. The powerful server computer takes care of the graphics and processing. You just need a device capable of displaying them as a video.
It is a clear departure from the running of games through local devices. Consoles like Xbox are under threat from this disruptive change. Microsoft has promptly transformed its Xboxes into cloud gaming devices, with the Xbox boards located in server farms now running the show. Luna, the cloud gaming service launched by Amazon, will even feature a separate WiFi connection to maintain gaming speed. Gaming giant Nvidia is not one to be left behind, having launched cloud gaming service GeForce Now. It is a clear indication that all gaming heavyweights are diversifying into cloud gaming.
Playing Cloud Games
With cloud gaming, be prepared to play with anyone, from anywhere and at any time. In-app purchase options go into overdrive in cloud gaming. You get the option of one-time purchase, subscription, NFT and crypto-based payments and purchases, and the freemium model, to name a few. Being platform-agnostic, the playability is managed by the servers. It also means breaking down all boundaries within the gaming community.
The use of NFT and blockchain is adding a new dimension to gaming, particularly cloud gaming. The global market value of blockchain in gaming was estimated to be around $4.83 billion in 2022, rising at an astonishing rate of over 68% till 2030.
A Walk in the Clouds: The Gamer’s Experience
Here are a few stand-out features a gamer gets from cloud gaming:
Unmatched Convenience – Gaming devices no longer need to process a game as it is stored in the cloud itself. Powerful CPUs, graphics and server infrastructure may prove to be redundant, as cloud gaming is free from any hardware constraints. Till now, PC and console-using gamers were dependent on their devices for gaming. However, cloud gaming services are platform-agnostic and can run across different operating systems.
Better Quality – Cloud gaming runs on state-of-the-art infrastructure that boasts high-performing servers and graphics processing units. Network latency is managed through data centres in multiple locations. This reduces latency and lag in gameplay.
Secured – Cloud gaming servers are industrial-strength and, therefore, less susceptible to cyber foul play. Game data is stored and transferred through secured channels and doesn’t require local backups. Cloud game players are assured of the safety and security of their private data.
Multiplayer compatibility – Ask any rummy game enthusiast why they download rummy app; one of the first things they will point out is social engagement. Apart from the social angle, multiplayer games also add a competitive spirit. The platform-agnostic cloud gaming services bring a larger number of participants into the fold with seamless connectivity across devices and operating systems.
What the Future Holds
Cloud-based gaming services are an important innovation in the field of gaming. Like any disruptive change, it is changing the rules and putting the old norms out of action. Both service providers and gamers are interested in this development, given the benefits it promises to deliver. This is obvious from the cloud gaming service offerings already put forward by the market leaders. The increased use of 5G, particularly in emerging markets, will see cloud gaming prosper further across the world.
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