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00:00Do you really need a powerful gaming PC or console to play demand?
00:05Ending AAA games, cloud gaming lets you access powerful gaming works and streams.
00:10Top tier games from almost any device.
00:13In some cases, cloud gaming can even deliver.
00:15Higher frame rates and resolutions than your own setup with no expensive hardware.
00:20In this episode of Setup Essentials, I'll take you through everything that you need to know to get started.
00:25With cloud gaming, from tips to improving performance to the best cloud gaming services out.
00:30There, let's get into it.
00:32If you already know what cloud gaming is and just want to see...
00:35Which services are best right now, you can skip ahead to that chapter.
00:38But for everyone else, here's a quick...
00:40Overview, cloud gaming lets you play games that you either already own or that are part of that...
00:45Think of it like Netflix, except instead of streaming a movie, you're streaming...
00:50A game from a remote server directly to your device.
00:53Whether that's your console...
00:55PC, phone, streaming stick, or even right to your TV.
00:58Cloud gaming has actually been around...
01:00For more than a decade.
01:01Remember OnLive back in 2010?
01:03It was a cool glimpse at the future...
01:05But it suffered from heavy video compression, high latency, and was definitely ahead of its time.
01:10Things changed in 2020 with the full release of Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now.
01:15And that's when a lot of people, myself included, started to see the real potential of these services as...
01:20A serious way to game without needing to drop thousands on a gaming PC or a...
01:25Next-Gen console every few years.
01:26Now, in 2025, I'd argue that cloud gaming services...
01:30Can match or even be local performance, so long as you keep a...
01:35New things in mind.
01:36So let's talk about what you need to get the best cloud gaming experience.
01:40First, no matter what cloud gaming service you go with, you'll need a strong and stable internet connection.
01:45The entire time that you're playing.
01:46If your internet goes down, so does your game.
01:49There is no off...
01:50Blind playing at all.
01:51How fast your internet connection needs to be depends on the quality that you're streaming.
01:55For smooth 1080p gameplay, you'll want at least 25 megabits per second.
01:59For 4K...
02:00120 FPS, aim for around 45, and if you're going all the way up to 5K at 100...
02:05120 FPS, about 65 megabits per second is ideal.
02:08Can you get by with less?
02:10Sometimes.
02:11But you'll probably notice pixelation, lag, and buffering that can quickly pull you...
02:15Out of that gaming experience.
02:17You'll also want at least 5 to 10 megabits per second...
02:20of upload speed, especially for your multiplayer games, to keep your inputs feeling snappy and...
02:25responsive.
02:26Latency, also known as ping, is just as important as speed.
02:30You...
02:30You want to stay under 40 milliseconds if possible.
02:33That number measures how long it takes your device...
02:35to talk to the game server and then get a response back.
02:38High ping causes lag.
02:40Delayed actions.
02:41Or that annoying teleporting effect where your character randomly ends up on the other side...
02:45of the map, or your shots missed, even though they probably shouldn't.
02:48I'm not talking about bad aim here.
02:50And seriously, use a wire connection if you can.
02:54Even with fast...
02:55internet speeds.
02:56Wi-Fi can introduce random lag and slowdowns.
02:59An ethernet capability...
03:00helps keep your connection stable and your ping low.
03:03Of course, a wire connection isn't always going...
03:05to be realistic, especially if you're gaming on your phone or handheld.
03:08If you are on Wi-Fi, stay...
03:10as close to the router as possible and use a 5 GHz network or faster for lower lag...
03:15latency and higher speeds compared to older 2.4 GHz networks.
03:19If you do need a...
03:20upgrade, I'll link our guide to picking the best gaming routers in the description.
03:25Not sure how fast your internet is?
03:27I know an easy way to check.
03:28I like using FastDog.
03:30FastDog.com on all my devices.
03:31It shows download speeds first, and if you tap show more...
03:35it'll show your latency and your upload speed.
03:38That should give you a solid baseline for what you're...
03:40internet connection can actually handle.
03:42And remember...
03:43everything on your home network...
03:45the player's bandwidth.
03:46If your game starts to stutter or drop frames, pause other downloads and...
03:50background streaming.
03:51Finally, the distance between your home network and the...
03:55cloud gaming servers also make a big difference.
03:58Even if you have fast internet, being...
04:00far away from a cloud gaming server can hurt your performance.
04:03Most of these services list their...
04:05supported regions and their data centers online.
04:07So it's definitely worth checking out before you subscribe to any...
04:10of them.
04:11Okay.
04:12Now that your internet connection is ready, let's get into the...
04:15best cloud gaming services that you can play on right now.
04:18First up, Xbox Cloud.
04:20gaming, it's easily the most popular choice right now.
04:23Xbox Cloud Gaming is...
04:25included with all Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
04:28So you might already have access to one of the...
04:30best cloud gaming services.
04:32Game Pass works like Netflix or Disney Plus.
04:35with a library of games that you can download and play at no extra cost.
04:40Microsoft expanded it to include game streaming as well with no downloads required.
04:45Most...
04:45most newer and first party game pass titles also support cloud streaming.
04:49And Microsoft...
04:50has also been adding support for other games outside of game pass that you may already own.
04:55if you bought them through the Xbox digital store.
04:57It runs on pretty much everything.
04:59Xbox...
05:00consoles...
05:01Android...
05:02iOS...
05:03Windows...
05:04macOS...
05:05and even the MetaQuest.
05:05Android...
05:06I'm here for the everything is an Xbox push and you can even play it directly on...
05:10any newer LG, Samsung, and Fire TVs.
05:12All you really need is a compatible controller.
05:15and your progress and achievements are carried over.
05:18Xbox game pass starts at $10 a month.
05:20for the essential tier.
05:21which caps your streaming resolution at 1080p and sometimes has longer key...
05:25to use.
05:26The $30 game pass ultimate tier streams gains at up to 1440p resolution.
05:30which looks noticeably sharper in my experience and queue times are usually only a few seconds.
05:35Ultimate also includes over 500 Xbox and PC game pass titles.
05:40that you can download and play locally.
05:42And yes, I know we're discussing cloud gaming here, but...
05:45this is still a really great option if you already own an Xbox or a gaming PC.
05:50and you still want to play some of those games offline.
05:53It also unlocks a huge advantage...
05:55when paired with the next service that I'm about to cover, NVIDIA GeForce Now.
05:58and I'll explain why in just a minute.
06:00No other service really matches game pass when it comes to both game selection and device support.
06:05And if you really care about day one Xbox releases like Call of Duty or Outer Worlds...
06:10the Xbox game pass ultimate is one of the best and most versatile ways to play a massive library of games...
06:15across almost every device that you own.
06:19Alternative...
06:20Alternative...
06:21if you want the closest thing to a real gaming PC with higher quality graphics...
06:24it has...
06:25it has to be NVIDIA GeForce Now.
06:28The first time that I streamed Black Ops...
06:30to my 5K ultra-wide display on maxed out settings at over 120 frames...
06:35per second...
06:36I knew that this would change how I game forever.
06:38Unlike most other subscriptions...
06:40GeForce Now lets you play games that you already own...
06:42along with popular free-to-play titles like Overwatch...
06:45Overwatch 2 and Fortnite.
06:46You just sync your game libraries from platforms like Steam, Epic...
06:50Games, GOG, and Battle.net.
06:52You can even stream select Xbox game packs...
06:55titles if you're subscribed there...
06:56which is why I was saying that higher game pass ultimate tier...
07:00becomes even more valuable when you pair it with GeForce Now...
07:03as you get a much better graphic...
07:05difficult experience here.
07:06But...
07:07not every game that you own is going to be compatible...
07:10since...
07:11publishers actually have to opt in for their titles to appear on GeForce Now.
07:15Luckily, NVIDIA's site makes it easy to check which of your games are supported before you...
07:20start and subscribe.
07:21Just like Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can stream games on...
07:24almost anything.
07:25There are native apps for Windows, Mac OS, Android, Android TV, Google TV, and newer...
07:30Sony, LG, and Samsung TVs.
07:32You can even play through a browser on most other devices...
07:35including the MetaQuest and even the Apple Vision Pro...
07:38just by visiting Play.GeForce Now.
07:40The Ad Supported free tier is going to be a great way to try out the service...
07:44but you...
07:45you will be limited to one hour gaming sessions before you need to restart.
07:48There are no daily ca...
07:50tap limits on how many times you can reconnect...
07:52but you are also limited to 1080p at 60 frames...
07:55per second...
07:56and will likely wait longer to get into your games.
07:59Still, this is a...
08:00surprisingly solid experience if you don't have a gaming PC already.
08:03The performance tier cost...
08:05$10 a month...
08:06and bumps things up to 1440p at 60 frames per second...
08:09with Ray...
08:10tracing support...
08:11ultra-wide monitor support...
08:12and 6-hour session limits.
08:14Then...
08:15there's the $20 monthly tier...
08:16which pushes things to a whole other level...
08:18with up to 4k at...
08:20240 frames per second...
08:22powered by the RTX 4080 GPU...
08:24and...
08:25Nvidia has also been steadily upgrading many of its data centers to RTX 5080s...
08:29which can handle...
08:30up to 5k...
08:31and 360 frames per second...
08:33think of it this way...
08:34you're basically...
08:35renting access to a top tier gaming PC...
08:37with like...
08:38a $1000 GPU...
08:39for only...
08:40$120 a month...
08:41and Nvidia keeps upgrading their hardware every year...
08:44so you don't have to.
08:45them...
08:46for the closest experience to a high-end gaming PC...
08:48without actually needing to own one...
08:50Nvidia GeForce Now delivers.
08:53Now...
08:54what if you're team Sony?
08:55PlayStation Plus Premium is Sony's answer to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate...
08:59for $18...
09:00for $10 per month...
09:01you get access to roughly...
09:02a thousand games that you can download...
09:03and play...
09:04with around...
09:05300 of those...
09:06available...
09:07to stream...
09:08the library includes...
09:09major AAA hits...
09:10like God of War...
09:11Ragnarok...
09:12and The Last of Us...
09:13plus classics including...
09:14Infamous...
09:15Clank...
09:16and the original...
09:17God of War series...
09:18before Sony started porting...
09:19its exclusives to...
09:20PC...
09:21this was the only...
09:22legitimate way...
09:23to play many of these games...
09:24without actually owning...
09:25a PlayStation console...
09:26but...
09:27now you can stream them...
09:28directly to your PS4...
09:30PS5...
09:31PC...
09:32and...
09:33most recently...
09:34the PlayStation Portal...
09:35if you're already...
09:36in the PlayStation ecosystem...
09:37this...
09:38is the best...
09:39cloud gaming option...
09:40for you...
09:41in addition to...
09:42some PS5 titles...
09:43it supports...
09:44a lot of classics...
09:45dating back...
09:46to the PS1...
09:47and even PSP...
09:48and just like...
09:49Xbox cloud gaming...
09:50this has been...
09:50a really great way...
09:51for me to discover...
09:52and try new games...
09:53that I normally...
09:54wouldn't have bothered downloading...
09:55that...
09:56something to note...
09:57on PC though...
09:58streaming runs...
09:59through Sony's app...
10:00which only...
10:01officially supports...
10:02DualShock 4...
10:03controllers...
10:04no DualSense...
10:05mouse...
10:06or keyboard support...
10:07yet...
10:08though...
10:09between us...
10:10I have had some luck...
10:10a few...
10:11third-party controllers...
10:12and even though...
10:13it's not compatible...
10:14with as many devices...
10:15it's a no...
10:15no-brainer...
10:16for Sony gamers...
10:17did you know...
10:18if you're already...
10:19an Amazon Prime...
10:20subscriber...
10:21you already have...
10:22access to a solid...
10:23cloud gaming service...
10:24Amazon's Luna...
10:25platform...
10:26is still considered...
10:27a newcomer...
10:28but it's gotten...
10:29a big...
10:30overhaul...
10:31the standard tier...
10:30included...
10:31with Prime...
10:32gives you...
10:33a rotating library...
10:34of around 70 gains...
10:35and at the time...
10:35video. That lineup includes Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Kingdom Come.
10:40Deliverance 2. They also recently added a Game Night collection focused on family-friendly
10:45party games that you can play using your smartphone instead of controllers with some supporting over
10:50eight players. It includes classics like Clue, Taboo, Ticket to Ride, and-
10:55and fun hits like Jackbox Party 9. Another feature I really love is Luna Couch.
11:00Which lets one paying subscriber invite their friends to play local co-op or multiplayer games.
11:05Even if those friends don't have a Luna subscription. You just send them the code to join with their
11:10Amazon account and they're in. Luna Premium costs around $9.99 per month and-
11:15and that expands the library to bigger titles like Death Stranding, Control, FC-25.
11:20As well as a mix of really solid indie games. Luna works on all Fire devices-
11:25and TVs running Fire OS 5 or later. As well as many newer Samsung LG-
11:30TVs where you can play it directly. There's also website support for other devices.
11:35Luna may not have the biggest game library out right now, but between its free access with Prime-
11:40the mix of party titles and Luna Couch, it's the most accessible and best options for-
11:45families, younger players, or anyone who wants to host a fun game night.
11:50While those are the four biggest cloud gaming streaming services, there are-
11:55other options out there. Boostroid is similar to GeForce Now, letting you stream the game-
12:00games that you already own, and Shadow actually lets you use the cloud like a personal-
12:05computer for graphics intensive projects like video editing and 3D modeling.
12:10The thing is, these services tend to not have as many servers nationwide or-
12:15or internationally, making their performance definitely not as reliable for fast-paced games.
12:20But, they are consistently getting better, so I'd keep an eye on them.
12:23But, do you have a-
12:25favorite cloud streamer that I didn't get to in this video?
12:28Be sure to leave it in the comments and let me know-
12:30which ones I should check out for next time.
12:32Again, one of the best parts of cloud gaming is that you don't-
12:35actually need to invest in expensive gaming PC or console hardware to get great-
12:40performance.
12:41But, if you still want an excellent experience, it's still worth investing-
12:45in controllers, peripherals, WiFi routers, and maybe even upgrading to a better monitor or TV.
12:50So, I've made a collection on Amazon storefront with my favorite deals they can find-
12:55link down below.
12:56All right, those have been my top cloud-
13:00gaming services to choose from, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of these picks.
13:04Let me know which one you're-
13:05you're eyeing, or if you think there are any that I should try out for next time.
13:08If this video helped you out, be sure to subscribe for-
13:10for more setup essentials.
13:11And, you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing.
13:13And, until the next one, okay-
13:15we'll catch you later.
13:16We'll catch you later.
13:17We'll catch you later.
13:18Bye.
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