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As the internet becomes a bigger part of our daily lives, moving our data and computing power to the cloud is common. Few products take advantage of this like a top-of-the-line Chromebook. Few services showcase the potential of cloud computing like cloud gaming platforms such as Amazon Luna, GeForce Now, and Xbox Game Pass, which let you stream games that are otherwise unplayable on your device.
Cloud gaming apps will land on 2020 Samsung smart TVs later this year
Older TV owners can enjoy Starfield without shelling out on extra hardware
At Gamescom 2023, Samsung announced that the cloud gaming apps will launch on 2020 Samsung TVs later this year. This continues the positive trend of Samsung bringing cloud gaming to more devices; model year 2021 TVs received support last fall.
Abxylute handheld review: Absolutely the best budget streaming console you can buy
A portable and budget-friendly Android gaming console good as Logitech's G Cloud
The sudden growth in the game streaming market has mirrored the resurgence of handheld gaming kickstarted by the Nintendo Switch. While devices like the Steam Deck and the upcoming Asus ROG Ally offer powerful hardware to take native gaming on the go, their high price points aren’t an affordable option for most. Cloud gaming handhelds aim to provide a similar experience at a fraction of the price, and the Abyxlute console (pronounced “absolute”) is the most affordable yet.
Even if you've never owned an iOS device, you may be aware of Apple Arcade, Apple's games subscription service on the App Store. While it's not as good a value as Play Pass on Android, Apple Arcade is still a worthwhile subscription for any iOS user.
The best Google Stadia alternatives in 2023
Google Stadia is being put to rest, but cloud streaming is going strong with these alternative services
For better or for worse, gaming is no longer restricted by hardware. Almost any device, bet it a dedicated cloud gaming machine like Logitech G Cloud or a portable Android tablet, gives you access to some of the best-looking games. So long as you have a decent internet connection, that is.
Here's why the new Xbox Cloud Gaming PWA for Chromebooks is such a huge upgrade
Still in beta, but 1080p support is finally here
Over the last two years, I've had the opportunity to test most game streaming services on an assortment of awesome Chromebooks. While many of these streaming services are still growing, I've had the chance to watch as they grow with incremental improvements. This means I'm familiar with the likes of Luna, GeForce, and even Stadia, along with Xbox Cloud Gaming. But Xbox Cloud Gaming has been in beta the entire time it's been available, which never looked great on higher-res screens since it was locked to 720p.
Google Search will now recommend game streaming services when you search for a game
Streaming services, like Stadia or Xbox Cloud Gaming, now appear when you search for specific games
Over the last few years, game streaming has become increasingly popular. While it may remain less popular than music and video streaming, with the rise of apps like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, they're becoming an increasingly common option for gamers to play games (even if Google occasionally neglects its own Stadia). Now, if you want to find a specific game to stream, you don't need to scour through multiple streaming services. Google might be able to find it for you.
Samsung Gaming Hub launches on 2022 smart TVs with access to Stadia, GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming
Luna game streaming access is coming soon
Samsung has been talking about its smart TV Gaming Hub since CES, with things ramping up over the last few months, like Microsoft announcing its TV app for its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. More or less, Samsung has been working behind the scenes to secure cooperation from all of the big game streaming services out there, and it's just about done it. Today marks the official launch of the Samsung Gaming Hub, complete with access to Stadia, GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Utomik. The only odd man out is Amazon's Luna, but it is coming soon. There is one caveat. You'll need a 2022 Samsung TV to gain access to the Gaming Hub, such as the Neo QLED 4K.
God of War comes to GeForce Now with high frame rate support
It's GFN Thursday, and Nvidia brings the pain to Olympus
Every Thursday, Nvidia announces the new games coming to its GeForce Now game streaming platform, and this week the company has a doozy. God of War is officially launching on GeForce Now, along with eight other titles, including MotoGP22 and Twin Mirror. Of course, God of War is the star of the show, and it supports gameplay at up to 1440p at 120 FPS on PC, and even mobile users can take advantage of high frame rate support at 120 FPS, though a subscription to the RTX 3080 membership will be required to hit those high frames and resolutions.
Google feels like it's been deprioritizing the consumer side of Stadia more and more, something that was already apparent with the closure of its first-party studio SG&E in early 2021 and the arrival of a white label Stadia-powered game on AT&T. But as gamers wonder why Google is seemingly no longer interested in negotiating access to third-party blockbuster titles, a new report suggests that its attention has shifted towards courting companies like Peloton, Capcom, and Bungie for white label deals under the name Google Stream.
Nvidia's making GeForce Now gaming on your 2019 Shield TV look a whole lot better
GFN Thursday brings the noise this week
Every Thursday, Nvidia announces its newest games, features, and news for its game streaming service GeForce Now. If you weren't aware, today is Thursday, and so Nvidia has just announced that resolution upscaling options are finally available within the GeForce Now service, and this includes AI upscaling for select GPUs as well as the 2019 Shield TV. What this means is that those who stream GeForce Now games on their 2019 Shield TV will finally be able to take advantage of the AI upscaling built into the 2019 Shield, which should result in a clearer image for your GeForce Now streams.
You can now pre-order the biggest GeForce Now improvement in years
Before today only Founders and Priority members could pre-order
GeForce NOW is Nvidia's game streaming service, and starting today, the company is rolling out pre-orders for a new membership tier for Founders and Priority members. This new tier is called the GeForce NOW RTX 3080 membership, and as you can guess, Nvidia is using custom RTX 3080s as the backend for this tier. Six months will run you $99.99, with availability rolling out for the US in November and the EU in December. Subscribers can expect 1440p support at a max of 120FPS (this is the important bit since a high framerate should lower latency), and 4K HDR support is coming exclusively to the Shield TV.
Netflix's gaming program expands to two new countries with three new games
It’s still very small though
Netflix kickstarted its mobile gaming ambitions by launching two games based on its popular Stranger Things series in Poland in late August. A month later, the company is expanding its mobile gaming initiative with three new games, now available in a total of three countries: Shooting Hoops, Teeter Up, and Card Blast.
Stadia gets better support for your existing controllers
You can connect to your phone for wired or Bluetooth controllers, or use touchscreen controls
When Stadia launched it was only available on TV via the Chromecast Ultra, and when going that route, you could only play it with the Wi-Fi powered Stadia controller. Google seems to have realized that was a bit limiting, especially since you can use Bluetooth and wired controllers with Stadia on your phone, a Chromebook, or a Windows or MacOS-powered PC. To help spread controller support to more TVs, Google is allowing the Stadia app on your phone to act as a bridge for controls on your TV, including third-party controllers like those for the Xbox and PlayStation.
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Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Sony, Nvidia — all of them are trying to dominate the early and emerging market of streaming games, hosted from powerful servers and broadcast directly to players' screens without the need of a gaming PC or console. But it looks like yet another challenger is approaching this new battlefield, and it has a familiar name: Netflix.
Netflix confirms it's working on games, but only mobile games for now
Now there's a cliffhanger with a really bad payoff
A week ago Netflix hired a veteran of Electronic Arts and Oculus to be its "President of Game Development," which led Bloomberg to declare that the long-time movie and TV streamer was stepping into the game market. Yesterday Netflix confirmed that this is true in a letter to shareholders: Netflix is indeed going to offer games. But don't throw out your Stadia controller just yet.
There might finally be a reason to buy a Surface Duo — if you’re big into Xbox cloud gaming
An update to the Xbox Game Pass app gives its lower screen dedicated touch controls
Admit it, Nintendo fans: when Microsoft revealed its first official Android-powered smartphone, all you saw was a $1400 Nintendo DS Pro. With its newfound focus on streaming games in the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft is reevaluating how it approaches them on the Surface Duo. With the latest version of the Android app, controls on the Duo can be entirely assigned to one screen in your hand, leaving the second screen free for gameplay.
Sign up for Ubisoft+ through Stadia to get access to 20 games
Not all games on Ubisoft+ are available on Stadia, but you can also use it on other platforms
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Not everyone is a fan of monthly subscription services, but in some cases, they can end up being cheaper than buying everything you want individually. Ubisoft+ is a subscription that includes most of the titles published by the French game company of the same name, and Google has announced you can now sign up for the service right through Stadia.
Act fast: Claim 3 free months of Stadia Pro, no purchase necessary
This runs out quickly whenever it's posted
If you've been meaning to try the pro tier of Google's streaming games platform, then you have some quick work to do to try it for free. Lenovo is offering anyone three months of Stadia Pro for free, if you sign up to its Legion Gaming community. You'll also have to jump through a few other hoops, but we've confirmed that it's working for new users in the US, at the very least.
You don't need a controller to play these Xbox Game Pass titles from your phone
Microsoft's list of Xbox Game Pass games with touch controls is growing quickly
Microsoft is betting big on Game Pass as the next-gen console war heats up, and on the mobile streaming front, it's winning. Streaming games to Android via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has proven a popular (and free!) addition to the subscription service. But having a big library of games to play on the go doesn't help if you don't have a controller handy.