LG TVs are getting a big boost in support of cloud games, with TV maker OLED confirming that both Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now will hit their screens in the coming months.
Both game streaming services – which allow players to stream games over an internet connection, rather than dealing with massive downloads – would be remarkable news in their own right, but bringing both of them in the same year is certainly a big move.
Google Stadia was launched with great exaggeration in 2019, although its growth has been somewhat slow, with a limited line of Stadia games and a pay-per-title business model, instead of a free buffet (although you can get Destiny 2, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077, among others). You can get 1080p streaming and stereo sound on the free / base layer, but you need to pay a monthly fee to get 4K resolution and 5.1 surround sound.
Nvidia GeForce Now was launched around the same time, due to some delays – but it is a much more affordable service at the beginning. There is a free level that allows you to stream games you already own on Steam without Stadia’s monthly subscription fee; the Founders paid edition ($ 4.99 per month in the United States) tracks server queues and even allows for lightning tracking (something you won’t find on Stadia).
Stadia has a more elegant interface, as well as a stylish Stadia controller, but GeForce Now’s ability to stream games you already have it can lead many to choose it instead of the Google service. Anyway, the fact that LG opted for both, instead of choosing a service to support, will only be good for consumers in the long run.
Long time coming
LG makes no secret of its gaming ambitions, with its 2020 OLED TVs boasting a sub-1ms input delay and featuring Nvidia’s G-Sync technology to reduce screen tear for PC-connected games.
This last feature definitely affected only a minority of players – something that our Computer Editor took a very negative view of. However, it seems to have served as a basis for a more fruitful collaboration between Nvidia and LG.
There is competition for both services, of course, with Microsoft’s Cloud Gaming service (formerly Project xCloud) now being packaged for free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and allowing you to stream Xbox Game Pass games on a multitude of different devices. If you’re in the Xbox ecosystem, it’s not difficult, but we hope there is room for more than one game streaming service in the long run (even if PS Now barely takes a look these days).
PS5 and Xbox Series X game consoles will also provide competition, with LG’s OLED 2021 TVs with four HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR (variable refresh rate) and a “Game Optimizer” function to keep input delay below 1 ms .
Both Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are scheduled to arrive on LG TVs in the second half of 2021. We will be sure to update it when more specific dates are announced.
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