It is difficult to keep up with the rapid growth of cloud gaming. The recent stats speak for themselves. According to Newzoo research data, the cloud gaming sector is expected to approach $5 billion in 2023 and reach $6,5 billion in 2024, with 60 million users worldwide. Nowadays, key market leaders are actively investing in this technology, and NVIDIA, with its exceptional GeForce Now service, is one of the top gaming companies in the Cloud Gaming market. It is just like online casinos that provide fastest payout, key market participants are ready to go the extra mile in order to win customer recognition and increase their share.
The Fundamentals of Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming refers to the process of broadcasting a video game over the Internet to a distant server. Thus, there is no need for a gamer to download gaming software on a pc, laptop, or table; instead, a player may instantly access and enjoy a cloud-compatible game as long as one has a stable Internet connection.
While cloud gaming has been a notion for some time, largely on PCs, it is reasonable to say that Xbox has recently been the major pioneer in making gaming in the cloud practical on a leading game platform, particularly with AAA games. Microsoft debuted the Xbox Cloud Gaming service in Beta in November 2019, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users have been receiving a growing catalog of Cloud-compatible titles since 2020 in an effort to test the ambitious new Cloud service.
It is worth noting that cloud gaming is becoming more popular with the current generation of handheld consoles. It has been expanded to Valve’s ambitious Steam Deck platform, which can now access high-profile Cloud gaming providers like Google Stadia. Remote Cloud streaming systems like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna have also struggled to gain traction, but Xbox has the power and user base to take Cloud gaming to the next level.
Opportunities Cloud Gaming Provides
Gaming in the cloud is not simply a fantastic and reasonably priced method of entertainment for gamers. It is also a sea of benefits and new opportunities for businesses in a variety of industries. Some of these are telecommunications companies, top online casinos from the BestAuCasinosOnline lists, the hospitality industry, entertainment platforms, and much more. Thus, cloud-based gaming systems offer a fantastic chance for video game publishers to reintroduce previously “forgotten” games to a wider audience of gamers.
Cloud games appear to be at the center of Xbox’s attention. For example, Xbox recently collaborated with Samsung to offer Game Pass Cloud games to Smart TVs. Official Xbox “Stream Puck” hardware is also supposedly in the pipeline.
The recent Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase looks to have further validated the normalization of gaming in the Cloud, with the bulk of showcased titles described as having Cloud compatibility as a developing industry standard, at least from Microsoft’s perspective.
One of the most significant examples of a Cloud-dominated gaming future was the surprising revelation of a partnership between Xbox and long-time PlayStation collaborator Hideo Kojima.
The unexpected collaboration between the two parties is made even more unique because it is advertised as a game built entirely on the Xbox Cloud technology. During the presentation, Kojima mentioned Microsoft‘s “cutting-edge Cloud technology” as a driving force in his choice to work directly with Xbox.
Why Cloud Gaming Is the Future of the Industry
There are a couple of reasons making cloud gaming rocks the industry:
- No downloads or patch updates: When you ask gamers why they appreciate playing games in the cloud, one of the first things they’ll mention is the lack of downloads and fixes. Unlike game consoles and PCs, which require game downloads and updates to their hard drives, cloud games operate on server farms that receive updates directly from creators over the air. When an update is released, it is automatically uploaded to the server and made available to players, saving time that would otherwise be spent downloading new content.
- No pricey gear to acquire or maintain: Instead of purchasing, owning, maintaining, and upgrading a dedicated console, cloud gaming services reside purely in the cloud, which means you don’t need to purchase any more hardware to play your games on your existing devices.
- Full versatility: Cloud games are practically available on most of the displays you currently own, including your phone, tablet, computer, TV, and, in some cases, even your fridge. This means you can play games almost anywhere as long as one of these devices is handy; no bulky console is necessary.
- Broader distribution: The cold, hard reality is that gaming gear is costly, and many players can’t or don’t want to spend the money on a new console. Luckily, gamers may still enjoy the top 7 video games made in Australia thanks to the power of the cloud without spending hundreds of dollars on a plastic box that will reside under the TV. Not only does this allow a new generation of gamers to play easily, but it also allows game makers to interact with a larger audience they could not previously reach.
Wrapping up
Given this degree of praise from an industry veteran known for pushing the limits of established gaming standards, gaming in the cloud might very well be the industry’s future. With Xbox Cloud Gaming technology expected to grow dramatically in the future, it is well positioned to become increasingly used as other game dev companies follow the trend.
