Without a doubt, cloud gaming is here to stay . There are more companies that are committed to it, the services do not stop improving and more and more people are enjoying them. How not to do it? His proposal is very attractive: play console games over the Internet on any compatible device , be it computers, laptops, tablets, televisions, and even our mobiles.
Competition in this sector has been growing in much the same way as streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, among many others. What does this mean? That there are many cloud gaming services , with similar proposals, but also particular differences. However, unless we want to pay for all of them, we must choose which one to keep. For such reason, here we bring you a list of the best cloud gaming services .
Top 5 cloud gaming services
To choose your ideal service, you must take into account several factors, since each service has its advantages and disadvantages . For example, the catalog of games available in each one, plans and prices, technical performance, device compatibility, service policies, among other things.
In this sense, we reduced the list to the 5 best cloud gaming services , which are compatible with a wide variety of devices, and with different payment plans to suit any pocket. In addition, we will help you by describing and giving an opinion on each of these services so that you can evaluate and determine which one is the most suitable for you.
NVIDIA GeForce Now, with the best free subscription
NVIDIA GeForce Now is one of the most compelling services on the list, especially if you have games in your Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect libraries. In GeForce Now you cannot buy games, but you can link your accounts from the mentioned stores and release the libraries for the service, although not all titles are compatible.
Advantage
- Being able to link your libraries to the service.
- Variety of subscriptions, including free.
- Keyboard and mouse support, gamepad and touch controls.
- Access to Free to Play games.
Disadvantages
- Not all games from the mentioned stores are supported.
- Time limit on all subscription levels.
- Queues to enter the games, although reduced in paid subscriptions.
- Cumbersome processes when launching games from external stores.
subscriptions
- Free: 1 hour per day session, queue and resolution up to 1080p at 60 FPS.
- Priority: 6 hour session per day, priority in queues, resolution up to 1080p at 60 FPS but with graphic improvements and RTX compatibility. Cost of €9.99 per month.
- RTX 3080: 8 hour session per day, exclusive servers, resolution up to 4K at 120 FPS, graphic improvements and compatibility with RTX. Cost of €19.99 per month.
If you want to know more, you can visit our reviews of the service in general and the RTX 3080 subscription.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the best subscription with games included
Xbox has been betting heavily with its services for some time. In this sense, Game Pass Ultimate combines all Xbox subscription services : Game Pass for PC and consoles, Xbox Live Gold, and the service of interest, Xbox Cloud Gaming. Thanks to this integration of services, you will be able to play the entire Game Pass library in the cloud without having to buy any games .
Advantage
- Access to the Game Pass catalog with hundreds of games.
- Very complete subscription for different devices.
- Touch controls adapted for certain games.
- Simple and direct interface, without cumbersome processes.
Disadvantages
- List of games limited to the Game Pass catalog, leaving out many titles.
- High cost if you only want the game in the cloud, without other options.
- Most of the games can only be played with a controller.
- It does not have Free to Play games (except for Fortnite).
subscriptions
- Game Pass Ultimate: with hundreds of games, no time limit, resolution up to 1080p at 60 FPS and Xbox Series X graphics. Cost €12.99 per month.
- No subscription: You can play Fortnite with Xbox Cloud Gaming without a subscription. However, it can only be done from the browser at this link .
With all this, Game Pass Ultimate is a very complete service, although at a high price if we don’t have an Xbox or PC to take full advantage of it. However, this service is famous for its offers , so we recommend you hunt for them and thus try the service.
Stadia, with the most comfortable interface and compatibility
Google surprised with Stadia, its commitment to gaming in the cloud. In Stadia you can buy games in its store and play them only in the cloud . The latter has generated controversy when compared to other services. However, Stadia remains one of the best options in the industry. It has a good infrastructure dedicated to cloud gaming and a very comfortable interface where you can start playing in seconds.
Advantage
- Wide variety of titles available in your store.
- Free subscription option.
- Paid subscription with games included and discounts in the store.
- Keyboard and mouse support, gamepad and touch controls.
Disadvantages
- Buy games only in your store.
- Games you purchase will only be playable on Stadia.
- Paid subscription with very few games.
- A very small list of Free to Play games.
subscriptions
- Stadia Base: Access to the store and some Free to Play games, no time limit, resolution up to 1080p 60 FPS with Stadia graphics and stereo sound. For free.
- Stadia Pro: Monthly free games, store discounts, up to 4K resolution at 60 FPS with Stadia graphics and 5.1 surround sound. Cost of €9.99 per month.
On the other hand, if you are a Ubisoft+ subscriber, by linking your account to Stadia you will be able to enjoy the catalog of said service in the cloud. Similarly, if you want to try the service without buying any games, you have the option of free games like Destiny 2, or the 7 games with free trials on Stadia. Finally, you can take a look at our review of the service at this link.
Boosteroid, compatible with a wide variety of PC games
Boosteroid is a very attractive proposition if you own games purchased from different PC stores . In it, by paying the subscription, you will be able to play a wide variety of games from Steam, Epic Games Store and Origin (if you have purchased them in said stores), or even play a considerable list of Free to Play games , one of the biggest attractions from service.
Advantage
- Compatibility with the most popular stores.
- It has popular games that other services do not have.
- Lots of Free to Play games.
- No queues or time limit.
Disadvantages
- Not all games from such stores are present on the service.
- There are games that need to be installed, which is time consuming.
- No variety of subscriptions, no free option to try the service.
- It does not support touch controls for mobiles.
subscriptions
- Start: access to all games (purchased and free), resolution up to 1080p at 60 FPS. Cost of €9.89 per month.
- Ultimate: same features. Cost of €89.89 per year.
Boosteroid is a little known service compared to the previous ones, but without a doubt its proposal is competitive and in some aspects better than its direct competitors .
PlayStation Plus Premium, the best for classic games
Since the Japanese company unified its PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now services into a single Premium plan, it has become a more attractive option in the cloud gaming sector. However, if you are not a big fan of classic PlayStation console games, nor do you have a current console from the company, this service may not be for you , since it can only be used on PS4, PS5 and PC.
Advantage
- Large catalog of PlayStation console games, with different libraries.
- There is no need to buy games.
- Complimentary service if you have a PS4 or PS5.
- New games every month.
Disadvantages
- Not all games are available in the cloud, including all PS5 games.
- Cloud gaming only on the most expensive subscription.
- Does not support keyboard and mouse.
- It is not compatible with mobiles.
subscriptions
- Premium: Streaming of select PlayStation, PSP, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games within the Classics Catalog and Games Catalog libraries. Resolution up to 1080p at 60 FPS with graphics from PlayStation consoles. Cost of €16.99 per month.
- Other subscriptions: PlayStation Plus has two other subscription levels, “Extra” and “Essential”; however, these do not have the cloud gaming service.
PlayStation Plus Premium is an attractive service for a certain audience. In other words, if you have a PlayStation console you will have many advantages that enrich the service . Leaving that aside, it doesn’t offer anything remarkable worth its high cost.
Promising services for the future
Along the way we left promising services, but unfortunately they are starting and have two drawbacks: they are not in Spanish, nor are they available in Spain . We’re specifically talking about Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service; and from Shadow, the streaming service for power users. We hope that these services will reach other territories in the future, including Spain.
For now, Luna is only available in the United States . His proposal is really attractive for Amazon Prime subscribers, unifying services and offering different types of subscription.
On the other hand, Shadow is in different countries around the world, but the list is very small . This service allows you to control a PC from the cloud, so it not only allows cloud gaming thanks to its powerful equipment, but also the multiple tasks you can do on a computer.
What do you think of the best cloud gaming services? Have you chosen any? Tell us your experiences and opinions in the comments.
