Cloud video game streaming will one day change the video games industry as much as mobile did. The question is when the technology will advance to the point where it is just as easy to use as regular apps on our smartphones.
Google has shown their new streaming project simply named Project Stream. I was fortunate enough to be invited to test out their streaming capability and did Google pull out all the stops by partnering up with Ubisoft to do it. Assassin Creed Odyssey couldn’t have been a better game to show off Google’s capabilities.
Assassin Creed Odyssey is a gorgeous looking game that is super addictive to play. Not only could this game show off how amazing Google’s streaming capabilities but draw you in with its amazing gameplay to continue stress testing the game. It is why I found myself testing out Google’s Project Stream for much longer than I anticipated.
I did run into issues while playing the game while streaming though. My internet is alright but it isn’t the greatest and it showed. Many times the quality would drastically drop and the visual fidelity would be quite poor. Granted this is my internet’s fault but that just highlights a major issue Google will have to address since I am not the only one with an average internet connection.
Streaming video games will have a very important place in the marketplace in the future. It also won’t replace the way many gamers will choose to play their video games because many will still care about having the best specs. What will happen is that will provide a valuable option for many gamers. Games like Fortnite show that gamers have a variety of platforms that they prefer to play their games on.
None of this will be possible though unless infrastructure for the internet improves. Too many gamers just don’t live in a situation where they can get access to high-quality internet. This problem is too big for just any one company to solve. The good news is companies, governments, and organizations are working towards possible solutions right now.
Who knows exactly how the future of cloud streaming will change video games. What I do know is that I can’t wait to see how developers will take advantage of the time when gamers can play their games on any device anywhere.