In February 2020, CEO Anthony Palma announced that the  magic138 slot service was shutting down. This service was launched in 2008, and while the service is still live to this day, most of the games in the service have been discontinued. If you are a PlayStation Plus Premium member already, though, then do check the PC app out. Microsoft asks you for similar specs for the Xbox Cloud Gaming service.

This point is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the cloud gaming servers are usually very well connected with the game servers, meaning that you often have a single-digit ping in game. Still, your combined ping between you, the cloud gaming server and the game server will usually be at least a little bit higher than when connecting directly. It works similarly to GeForce now where you pay a subscription, starting from €8.99 to use the service and then sync your game library from launchers such as Steam, Epic Games, and Ubisoft.

You can play using an Xbox Wireless Controller, Sony DualShock 4, and more – or play supported games with touch controls. OnLive offered games that were available for consoles at the time, including the original Borderlands and Darksiders. These games ran with similar visual quality to traditional systems, though the technology was still in its infancy and led to latency issues on certain games. However, internal issues caused a shift in the company, which led to its eventual demise and the sale of its assets to Sony.

In addition, it offers access to many games not available on GeForce NOW via a Cloud PC like model where users install games into their own private cloud drives. It allows you to stream games you already own from various digital stores. Xbox Cloud Gaming is included as a perk in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Complete Guide To Cloud Gaming Services In 2025: All Your Options

With titles such as Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 playable through the cloud, you’ll have instant access to some of the most popular games as part of your subscription. The process is not as seamless on PS Plus and will often require a manual sync. The downside of this service is you can’t download any of the games, but you have many options for devices to play on. Luna+ is compatible with PC, Mac, Fire TV, Fire tablet, Chromebook devices, and web apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Higher Resolutions, Faster Frame Rates

Thanks to the power of the cloud, games can be streamed instantaneously without you needing to worry about updates, patches or upgrades. Antstream Arcade specializes in retro games, offering a large library of over 1,000 classic titles from Atari consoles, NES, SNES, SEGA, PlayStation and more! It is created by a group of people with a real passion for retro gaming. Unfortunately, if you don’t own a PlayStation, you’re limited to streaming older games, which include PlayStation 4 games or those in the Classics catalog. This might not be a dealbreaker if you don’t want the latest and greatest games, but it’s definitely worth keeping in mind. Ubisoft titles are available for an additional $17.99 per month, or you can connect your existing Ubisoft account and play any games you already own if you have a Luna+ subscription.

In the case of GeForce Now, the games you purchase come from other stores like Steam or Battle.net, meaning you can use them locally if you eventually purchase the necessary hardware. The catch is that you wait in a long line to stream these games, and then you can only play for a short duration. Upgrading to the subscription model puts you close to the front and grants more playtime. Cloud gaming — in most cases — requires a subscription paid on a monthly or yearly basis in order to access the content. With certain services, games must be purchased on top of that fee. You can grab a phone clip and play the latest AAA games on your phone or boot up a cloud gaming app on a Chromebook for some highly portable PC gaming.

With Logitech G CLOUD gaming handheld, the processing power and library of games are in the cloud. As long as you pay for a subscription, you have full access to those games. Paying your subscription fee doesn’t guarantee you’ll have certain games available, though, so if one of your favorite games is taken off of the subscription service, you’ll have to buy the game yourself. Now, cloud gaming has financial backing from some of the biggest tech companies in the world, enabling lower latency, higher frame rates, and a more convenient setup process. Services like Stadia and GeForce Now have the basic performance down, allowing them to push the more practical benefits of cloud gaming.

Renier often finds himself in a game of throes on GeForce NOW, sobbing like a Sicilian widow because life is definitely way too strange sometimes. I’m off to update my dating profile to “Eccentric gamer seeks someone who appreciates the finer things in life, like the gentle whir of a console and the soft glow of a loading screen.” Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a dude who thinks my permanent controller-shaped hand indentations are charming. Shadow provides a full Windows 10 PC in the cloud, allowing you to install and play any game or software that is available on PCs.

Select free-to-play games and most titles in the Game Pass catalog are available to play from the cloud. To explore the full catalog of games playable from the cloud, visit xbox.com/play. Game titles, number, features, and availability vary over time, by region, Game Pass plan, and platform.

Some, but not all, services offer both a web browser interface and a standalone Windows application to browse and launch games. All of our tests were done with both when relevant, and our full reviews reference which seemed to provide the better experience in both browsing and playing. For the web browser access, we tested with both Firefox and Google Chrome with little difference between the two except for Stadia, which calls for Chrome. Of course, unlike the other services, it’s the case that you will have to upload the games yourself, rather than having a pre-existing library for you to choose from. Although this means you won’t gain access to loads of games when you sign up, it does mean you’ll be playing your own library of games and won’t have to worry about them suddenly disappearing or becoming unavailable. Shadow is a cloud-based service that wasn’t specifically used for gaming, but it still has a fantastic gaming application.