In this day and age, gamers of all ages have easy access to virtually any type of game out there. No matter if you’re looking to try out that new RPG or you’re more interested in checking out some online slots, chances are you can easily find and access them with a few simple clicks.
But lately, there has been a lot of talk about cloud gaming. This new take on how we approach gaming sparked numerous conversations, leaving people wondering if they will be able to try it out for themselves. If gamers learned anything when it comes to new trends, it is that they are usually quite pricey, somewhat exclusive, and for some borderline unattainable – at least in the beginning.
That’s why we will present some of the major differences between cloud and browser games, as well as take a look at the minimum requirements for both.
What is cloud gaming?
Cloud gaming is a relatively new concept that focuses on running video games on remote servers and streaming them directly to the user’s device. Commonly referred to as “gaming on-demand” or even “gaming-as-a-service”, cloud gaming allows players to access and play games stored on the cloud, and do so remotely. Unlike traditional gaming, where games are being installed and run from the user’s personal devices, cloud games are being stored and run on a remote server that delivers the experience to the end-user by streaming.
What is browser gaming?
On the other hand, browser gaming focuses on using the internet. These games can be accessed through various web browsers and are usually free to play. Browser games come in many different forms and genres, ranging from single-player to multiplayer options. Browser gaming supports various formats as well, so they can easily be accessed via mobile devices, PC and even consoles. For the users, browser games can be quite appealing as they are easily accessible without having to download or install them. That being said, however, browser games usually have fewer features and inferior graphics when compared to native apps.
Minimum requirements for cloud gaming
One of the main advantages of cloud gaming is the fact that there really are no requirements when it comes to your device’s hardware. So, no, in order to be able to try out cloud gaming you won’t have to invest in the latest and greatest gaming rig. Instead, you can easily use your old potato computer to check out some of the latest titles with crazy requirements. This is due to the fact that cloud data centers will do all the heavy lifting for you.
That being said, however, you will need to ensure that you have a good internet connection. The connection you choose to rely on will mostly depend on the type of game streaming service you decide to use. As a general rule of thumb, anywhere between 5 to 20Mbps should work just fine. What’s more, you won’t really need to secure a wired hookup, but it will definitely help. Alternatively, if that’s not an option, at least try to secure a 5GHz Wi-Fi and make sure you don’t try to save up when it comes to the quality of your router.
Minimum requirements for browser gaming
Browser gaming, on the other hand, will mostly require you to have only a decent-enough internet connection. Usually, anywhere between 8-10 Mbps will be more than just fine for browser gaming, as these games are definitely not as demanding as some cloud games can be. Ideally, you should aim at having a < 30 ms ping for a smooth gaming experience.
Browser games are mostly implemented by using standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WebAssembly. Since the front end of a browser is what runs in the user’s browser, there really is no need to think about everything that’s going on in the back end.