Video games are becoming increasingly complex both in terms of mechanics and graphics to the point that they require more sophisticated computer specifications to run correctly. It’s likely that you won’t be capable of playing 2021 games on a system purchased in the early 2000s unless you upgrade its components. Cloud gaming is a technology that lets you play video games on any device, as long as there is a stable internet connection.
Essentially, a cloud gaming server handles the processing of a game’s video, instead of your device’s hardware, by sending you video frames that are compressed in response to your input. The cloud-based servers receive your input when you press the key. It then transmits a new frame to you in response. It’s a basic idea, but it requires a large amount of bandwidth to send those videos in real-time. Cloud gaming has been hampered because of this, but recent advancements in edge computing and cell networks have enabled it to take off.
In the end, services such as Stadia and NVIDIA’s GeForce Now can stream games with near-real quality to devices with varying levels of power. They’re also designed so that you avoid the massive downloads and setup process of installing games on your own hardware, which is important for those with different network conditions. Cloud gaming isn’t yet an actual reality. There are many obstacles to overcome, for example the issue of bandwidth and latency.