Why I Have Zero Interest in Cloud Gaming

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Gaming is moving to the cloud, at least according to Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

The tech giants are going in hard with gaming-via-the-internet platforms—Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, and Project xCloud, respectively—and they may be the companies that finally get it right. Others have tried, but they haven't been able to both get their tech off the ground and simultaneously stir consumers' interests. Surely, three of computing's biggest names can master and popularize streaming gaming.

The thing is, I have zero interest in the tech.

The Evolution of Cloud Gaming

Cloud gaming isn't new. OnLive's attempt was meh. Sony has cloud gaming courtesy of PlayStation Now and it's decent enough. Nvidia's GeForce Now service is okay from what I hear. Game-streaming tech is evolving, so time will bring games with less input lag and artificating, plus wild new features.

Project xCloud, for example, carries the promise of gaming on damn near any device with a screen, while Google Stadia adds an interactive element that lets you jump into another person's game via a YouTube live stream. It's all very cool-sounding stuff.

In that regard, I root for cloud gaming as some of its benefits, like any other technology, may spill over into unforeseen areas to improve our lives. Think of how a well-funded NASA directly or indirectly led to many now-commonplace items. Wouldn't it be cool to jump into a movie stream that a friend is viewing so you could watch together?

Sullied By Subscriptions

Yet, here I stand as an old man yelling at a (technological) cloud. On a very basic level, it stems from me not wanting yet another subscription in my life. Though pricing has yet to be revealed for Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, or Project xCloud, I'd bet everything near and dear to me that all three services will be subscription-based.

Subscriptions are a big money maker, due to their convenience and set-and-forget quality. Like gym memberships, people sign up for services and don't use them as often as they had planned (or at all!), resulting in big bucks delivered into the pockets of any given company on a monthly or annual basis. I recently canceled my Netflix subscription for this very reason. Besides, paying to play online is one of the many reasons I ditched console gaming (save for the Nintendo Switch) and adopted PC gaming.

A bigger potential problem is that you may not actually own the games you play. If you decide to stop paying, you may not be able to play a thing.

The Data Dance

Data caps are a potential worry in the realm of cloud gaming. In fact, they're something I'm more concerned about than latency (though that is important!), as this is an area outside of Apple, Google, and Microsoft's control. As someone with self-imposed data cap on my Google Fi phone service, I know how easy it is to reach your limit.

Google has stated that Stadia will support 4K HDR-enhanced 60-frames-per second gaming, with the potential for 8K 120-frames-per-second gaming. That's potentially a lot of data. Plus, with cloud gaming, everything you play slowly chomps away at your data cap—even a single-player experience like Assassin's Creed. Truly hardcore gamers may test the limits of their ISPs' allowances.

In addition, cloud gaming demands that your console or other device remains connected to the internet. If your ISP is having a bad speed day, or it goes down entirely, you'll be unable to play.

Potentially Lost Art

My biggest cloud-gaming concern, however, is the potential for lost art. As much as I loathe the practice, I must address platform manufacturers and rabid fanboys' love for exclusive content, be it DLC or full games. It supposedly makes a console more attractive by offering something that cannot be obtained elsewhere. So, it's not unreasonable to believe that these upcoming cloud-based gaming platforms will walk a similar path. However, the massive, unfortunate downside is that should those cloud platforms die, exclusives go to the grave with them.

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If you own a Switch, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One, you have the option to purchase game discs. You own them; they won't vanish into the night when Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft decide to stop supporting those consoles. You can play the game discs on your friends' consoles, too. This is a very basic concept, but one that's vital to video game preservation. Should Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, or Project xCloud receive platform exclusives, they may be living on borrowed time.

"B-b-but what about PC gaming?," you stutter. Sure, PC gaming no longer involves discs, but you do download game files. Should something go south, such as when Outrun was pulled from Steam due to Sega not re-upping the Ferrari license, the gaming community often puts in the work and care to ensure that others can play the game in the future—regardless of the legality.

Limiting the Culture

That brings me to my final point.

If you're ready to hop on the cloud-gaming bandwagon, be prepared for a major change in the video game culture. As cloud games will be tied to your account, you may not be able to share them with friends. I hope that's not the case; even Steam lets you check out a designated friend's game library. Plus, friends letting me test drive titles opened my eyes to games that I may not have otherwise considered purchasing. I'm sure many gamers have similar stories.

Cloud gaming is coming from some very major players. Whether or not it takes off remains to be seen, but it's important to recognize that we may be giving up much of what we enjoy in gaming today as technology marches forward.

Are you ready for that? I'm not.

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