Cloud Gaming Vs Online Gaming: What’s The Difference?

Gaming takes on plenty of different forms in the modern age. While couch co-op is still popular with certain console gamers, the allure of online games has grown ever stronger. However, alongside online play, cloud gaming has come into its own.

It’s not the only online gaming niche that’s expanded massively in the past decade. There are more great new online UK casinos popping up than ever before. What’s more, it’s never been easier for players to find the latest slot sites and big welcome offers.

For now, however, let’s focus on the cloud revolution. When it comes to gaming, what’s it all about?

Cloud Gaming in a Nutshell

Let’s be clear on this – online gaming is a different beast compared to cloud gaming. Online games merely require you to connect to the web and play with others across the globe. For example, you’d join a server and play a round or two of PUBG or Call of Duty through online play. That much is obvious.

Cloud gaming, however, takes your console or PC out of the equation. Much in the way that you don’t download movies or TV shows through Netflix, cloud games don’t install files. Instead, you connect directly to a server, and the content you consume is based off-site. It’s effectively content streaming, though perhaps not in the way you’d typically expect.

For one, it’s an on-demand approach to gaming that lessens strains on individual hard drives. For another, it effectively opens up a massive world of possibilities for mobile play. It’s a good reason why gamers have enjoyed a wider range of titles from their Android devices.

It’s not always easy to make tech predictions for the year ahead. That said, we can safely assume cloud gaming will scale up for some time to come. It’s fast, reliable, and cutting costs – it’s a big winner.

There are, however, a handful of drawbacks to cloud gaming. And no, it’s not just the fact you don’t get a physical copy.

Is Cloud Gaming a Bad Thing?

Not necessarily – however, if you don’t have a stable internet connection, cloud gaming may not be suitable for you. While it’s easy to assume that most people have some form of connection to the web, that doesn’t always guarantee stability. For cloud gaming to work for you in any shape or form, you’re going to need a connection.

Without that in place, you won’t be able to access games or content you have rightly paid for. Offline play may seem ‘old school’, but it’s a reliable way to keep playing if you don’t have data. If you pay for data per month, it’s even more of a restriction.

There is also the fact that some cloud gaming providers will only offer content exclusive to their consoles. This has been a significant source of contention for many gamers who want a single access point for their games. It’s preferable over having to keep switching between devices.

Conclusion

Cloud gaming is certainly an impressive option for people who have steady, regular access to data. Yes, it seems to be the future of gaming in general – but is it genuinely workable for all users?

For cloud gaming to work properly for all, there needs to be a hybrid option. When data isn’t available, a handy backup or offline source can be immensely supportive.

You don’t have to play online games on the cloud. There are plenty of choices out there, but consider an offline backup for maximum flexibility.