Top 3 Best Game Streaming Services

Depending on who you ask, game streaming may be the future of video games. Streaming services like Google Stadia or PS Now let gamers play games from wherever they are, on any device, without having to worry about a bulky console of expensive gaming PC.

The challenge is that current gaming services vary in style a lot. Some let you play games you already own, some require you to buy them again. Some will work on any device, some have more restricted access. And of course, some will simply have better performance and speeds than others. Here’s how to pick which is right for you.

With Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming now here, and cloud gaming likely to be a big part of next-gen console plans, it’s pretty clear that game streaming is only going to keep growing.

GeForce Now

Until recently, Nvidia’s GeForce Now was the best-value game streaming service on the market, mostly because it was completely free to use while in beta. At £4.99/$4.99 a month it’s still pretty affordable though – and there is a free tier too, if you don’t mind being limited to one-hour sessions.

Unlike PlayStation Now, which offers a library of curated games to play, Nvidia’s game streaming service lets you stream games that you already own across the likes of Steam, Epic Games, Uplay, and other PC-based stores.

A library of over 650 games comes pre-installed on Nvidia’s servers and is available for instant streaming, not only on PC but Mac, mobile, Chromebook, and Nvidia’s own Shield TV. The games are rendered remotely using Nvidia’s own GeForce GPUs and for those with a fast-enough internet connection, there’s an Ultra Streaming Mode that increases frame rate from 60 to 120fps – though the resolution is unfortunately capped at 1080p.

Price: £4.99 for 12 months

Shadow

Shadow differs from other streaming services in our round up because it doesn’t just provide access to a select library of games. Instead, Shadow provides the entire Windows 10 experience, allowing you to install any game or launcher that you want.

Shadow’s infrastructure is impressive too. It runs on professional graphics cards that deliver the same performance as (at least) Nvidia’s GTX 1080, along with 12GB of RAM and 1Gb/s download speeds.

If your internet connection is up to scratch, you can stream games up to 144Hz in 1080p, or 60Hz at 4K, with no noticeable lag. There are apps available for not only PC and Mac but iOS, Android, and even Ubuntu.

Comparatively speaking, the service is pricey, but considering what’s on offer, we think it’s worth it, it’s certainly cheaper than buying a gaming PC with similar specs.

Price: £12.99 PCM, £14.99 for the boost version

Google Stadia

Most similar in nature to PS Now, Google Stadia is the company’s first real foray into gaming and its an ambitious concept right out the gate.

Google’s using its might and resources to offer gamers a high-powered cloud-accessible console capable of delivering up to 4K visuals at 60fps, complete with 5.1 surround sound.

If you’ve already read anything about Stadia you know that at its November 2019 launch, a fair few promised features were missing and in some cases, still are. Things are always improving, however, with a growing games library that now includes titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and the promise of Cyberpunk 2077 when it launches.

4K support is now available across the Chromecast Ultra and compatible PCs, while Google also extended smartphone support to include devices like the OnePlus 8 and Galaxy S20 lines.

Price: £8.99 PCM Pro Version/ Free for standard version

Game streaming service buying advice:

Before we get into our selection of the best game streaming services available right now, let’s first discuss what you should consider before subscribing.

Types of streaming service:

As it stands, there are two types of streaming service available right now: one type provides a range of games for you to stream from a dedicated library, like PlayStation Now or Google Stadia; the other provides the tech to stream games that you already own, like GeForce Now and Shadow.

You need to consider what you want out of your streaming service. If you’ve already got a large collection of PC games, but your computer just isn’t up to scratch anymore, a service that provides a way to play existing games like Shadow or GeForce Now would be ideal. But if you’re new to the world of gaming, a service that provides a large library of on-demand games (like PS Now or Stadia) would likely be better.

Internet connectivity:

With any kind of streaming service, internet connectivity is key, but it’s more crucial than ever were streaming games is concerned. This is due to how game streaming works; the games are rendered remotely at data centers and streamed to your PC (or other devices of choice), with your inputs then sent back to the same data centers in real-time.

If you’ve got a sub-par internet connection, chances are you’ll experience severe input lag that makes gaming virtually impossible. The minimum requirements vary by streaming services, so do your research and run a speed test on your home network to see which is best for your needs.

For those with slow internet speeds, why not consider a game subscription service instead? It may take longer to access the games initially, but it’s certainly better than dealing with streaming issues.

Platform support:

While this may seem fairly obvious, it’s always worth mentioning: make sure your platform of choice is supported by the streaming service you subscribe to. Most offer PC support as standard, but depending on the service, you might also be able to stream your favorite games on Macs, tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks, and even TVs.

It’s also worth noting that if you’re a PS4 player, you’re limited to PlayStation Now, the only game streaming service available on Sony’s console. If you’re looking for an Xbox-compatible streaming service, you’re out of luck then be warned: Microsoft’s Xbox equivalent will let you play Xbox games on your phone, but won’t let you actually stream games to the console itself.