Many gamers want to play the latest triple-A titles but lack a powerful computer, or do not have the budget to purchase video game consoles like the Xbox, or PlayStation. If you are part of that grouping, you should consider subscribing to a cloud gaming service.
Cloud gaming is impressive because even if you only have a lackluster computer system, you can still play the best games in very good quality. So far, companies such as Microsoft, Sony, NVIDIA, and Amazon, among others, have taken the cloud gaming market by storm.
Best free Cloud Gaming Services
It is much easier now than ever before to access the cloud gaming market and at an affordable cost. The question is, however, which ones are the best of the bunch? Here are some of the best ones.
- GeForce Now
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
- PlayStation Plus
- Amazon Luna
- BlackNut
1] GeForce Now
From our point of view, GeForce Now is the best cloud gaming service of all, at least from the time of writing. It has smooth responsiveness, along with a free plan for those who are not bathing in money. Now, we understand that users must purchase most of the games on the service for the best experience, but the list of titles is huge, and the visual quality is impressive.
We also like the fact that gamers are not tied to GeForce now since the games are accessible via Steam, Epic Games Store, and other services that may or may not be installed on your computer.
There are some downsides to this though. For example, gaming sessions are limited in time, and game compatibility is not consistence.
So, as it stands, if you’re a person who is new to PC gaming, GeForce Now is the best option for streaming, and with a cost of $9.99 per month, you cannot go wrong here.
READ: List of Best PC Games in Microsoft Store – Category-wise
2] Xbox Cloud Gaming
For those who are confused by the name, please note that Xbox Cloud Gaming is a component of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and it gives the user access to the entire library of Xbox Game Pass. Folks with experience will let you know that the Xbox Game Pass is home to some of the best games.
Unfortunately, many of those games will leave the platform after some time, but those made by Microsoft will always be available.
Now, for just $14.99 every month, Xbox Cloud Gaming makes it possible for gamers to play over 350 games, though expect compression artifacts that dull down the quality a bit.
READ: Popular PC games for Windows 11
3] PlayStation Plus
The next service that deserves some attention here, is PlayStation Plus on PC. It’s not the best in the world due to bad user experience where the application is concerned, but it is home to some of the best PlayStation games.
Gamers can use PlayStation Plus to play games from the original PlayStation through PlayStation 4. Sadly, the folks at Sony have yet to follow Microsoft’s lead by releasing their newest games on its streaming platform on day one. In fact, no PlayStation 5 games are currently playable on PlayStation Plus, so that means you’ll have to acquire the console itself for the privilege.
At least the visual quality is better than what Xbox Cloud Gaming has to offer most of the time.
READ: How to use PlayStation Plus on Windows PC
4] Amazon Luna
Amazon has been proving for years it means business where gaming is concerned. The purchase of Twitch was a testament to what was to come, and it didn’t take long for the company to get more involved.
The Amazon Luna platform brings a smooth user experience to the table, along with a niche selection of video game titles that are not expensive to purchase. The platform splits available titles into channels, which can be paid for separately from each other. This in turn makes it both the cheapest and most expensive subscription service right now. It all depends on what you want, so be careful of your selections.
If you are into retro and family-friendly video games, Amazon Luna has a strong offering in these departments. Unfortunately, the game library is not fresh, so do not expect the newest titles to appear often.
READ: Best high quality Video Games for Windows PC
5] BlackNut
Out of all the cloud gaming services, BlackNut is the only one that is family-focused. You can pay a subscription fee of $12.99 per month to play on-demand games. We like this service because users can play on up to four devices, and there is a dedicated kids mode as well.
Now, whenever kids mode is enabled, only games rated E10+ will appear. Furthermore, there is a two-week free trial so that you can give BlackNut a test drive.
Read: Free multiplayer games for PC to play with friends from home
Is GeForce Now free?
GeForce Now is free, but there is a paid plan available that delivers the best of what the service has to offer. You see, free users are limited to an hour of playtime, and at times, they may be required to queue for some titles. As for paid members, they are limited to 6 hours per day.
Can you play GTA V on GeForce NOW?
It was possible in the past to play GTA V on GeForce Now, but then one day Rockstar pulled the game without an explanation. This angered the community, of course, since most gamers cannot afford powerful computers to play the title.
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