Cloud gaming: 3 providers in comparison

Cloud gaming providers are becoming increasingly popular. The online services help you play your favourite games without having to invest in expensive hardware. We’ve picked out the best providers for you.

Cloud gaming provider: Playstation Plus

With a Playstation Plus subscription, you get access to extra games at no extra cost.

• Media library: Playstation Plus currently has a considerable selection of games with over 700 titles. Games from all Playstation generations can be found there, as well as games from studios such as Ubisoft and Warner Bros Games. The available titles include Assasin’s Creed or Fallout, for example.
• Price: To use cloud gaming, you must purchase the Playstation Plus Premium plan. After a 7-day trial period, this is available in 1-month, 3-month or 12-month subscriptions. 1 month costs €16.99, 3 months you get for €49.99 and 12 months for €119.99. In addition to using the cloud servers, you also get free access to all titles in the media library.
• Technical requirements: To stream the games, you need a good internet connection with at least 5 Mbps. The faster your internet connection is, the smoother your game will run and the higher you can switch your resolution.
• Platform: Streaming is available on the PS4 and PS5 consoles. If you want to use your PC for this, you need an account for the Playstation Network and a compatible controller. Playing with a mouse and keyboard is not possible and the provider is not yet compatible with Apple products either.

Cloud gaming provider: Google Stadia

The Google Stadia subscription includes free games that change monthly.

• Media library: Google Stadia also has a large games media library with titles such as Overcooked, Fifa or Terraria, which expands every month.
• Price: After the first 30 trial days, the service costs €9.99 per month. In addition to using the servers, the subscription also includes about 30 games that change monthly. Many of the titles can also be tested free of charge without registering, usually for about 30-60 minutes. If you want to play more games, you have to buy them individually.
• Technical requirements: To be able to use Google Stadia, you need an internet connection of at least 10 Mbits/s. Compared to Playstation Plus, the requirements are a little higher, but should still not be a problem for a normal internet connection.
• Platform: You can use the service via the Google Chrome browser on your laptop or computer, via the Stadia app on Android smartphones and tablets or via the Chromecast Ultra device in combination with your TV. On iOS devices, use is also possible via the Stadia Web App in Safari. A controller is not absolutely necessary in any case.

Cloud Gaming Provider: GeForce NOW

Nividia’s cloud gaming service has a particularly large game selection, but without free games.

• Media library: With over 1400 titles, GeForce NOW currently has the largest game selection. What’s also particularly helpful is that many games you have already purchased on other platforms can be linked to the provider and played. Well-known titles in the GeForce NOW library include Fortnite, Cyberpunk and Tomb Raider. However, none of the games are included in the subscription, as they have to be purchased separately.
• Price: The price for the GeForce NOW basic membership is €9.99 per month. For this you get access to the premium servers and can play up to 6 hours at a time. For €19.99 a month, you get the RTX 3080 membership and with it access to an upgraded server with maximum performance and gaming sessions of up to 8 hours. Free games can even be streamed via a free membership, but for a maximum of 1 hour at a time.
• Technical Requirements: To stream in 720p, GeForce NOW requires an internet connection of at least 15 Mbps. So the minimum requirement for your internet line is highest here. For games in 1080p resolution, you need a transmission speed of 25 Mbit/s.
• Platform: The provider can also be used on PCs, smartphones and tablets as well as on SmartTVs. There are also hardly any restrictions with regard to the operating system. Keyboard and mouse as well as gaming controllers can be used for control.