Okay, so yesterday I was messing around, trying to find some decent alternatives to GeForce Now. You know, sometimes their servers are just slammed, or maybe I just wanna try something different. Anyway, here’s what I stumbled upon and how it all went down.
First Up: Xbox Cloud Gaming
Started with Xbox Cloud Gaming ’cause I already have Game Pass. Figured it’d be a no-brainer. Fired up the Xbox app on my laptop, found a game I wanted to play – think it was Forza Horizon 5 – and clicked “Play.” Pretty straightforward, right?
Well, almost. The game launched, but the graphics were kinda… mushy. Like, I was playing through a screen door. Messed around with the streaming quality settings in the Xbox app, bumped everything up to the max, but it didn’t help much. Input lag was noticeable too. I was drifting into walls I swear I wasn’t even near. Gave it a solid hour, hoping it would sort itself out, but no dice. Might just be my internet, but it wasn’t a stellar experience, ya know?
Next: Amazon Luna
I remember I had an Amazon Luna subscription from when they first launched it, so I decided to see if it was any better now. Found the Luna app, got logged in, and started browsing their library. They actually have some decent stuff on there these days. Went with Control, since it’s a game I know really well and could quickly compare to other versions.
Right off the bat, the visuals were sharper than Xbox Cloud Gaming. Definite improvement there. Input lag was still present, but less noticeable. I managed to play for a couple of hours without wanting to throw my controller through the monitor. The streaming was smooth for the most part, but I did get a few stutters here and there. Overall, Luna was a step up.
A Wild Card: Shadow PC
Okay, this one’s a bit different. Shadow PC isn’t exactly a “streaming service” in the same way as GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming. It’s more like renting a whole damn computer in the cloud. You get a virtual Windows machine, and you can install whatever the hell you want on it.
Setting it up was a bit of a pain, gotta be honest. Had to sign up for a plan, wait for them to provision my virtual machine, then download their Shadow client. Once I got it running, it was like having a brand new PC. Installed Steam, downloaded a game (Cyberpunk 2077, because why not torture myself?), and fired it up.
Holy crap. The performance was insane. I was playing Cyberpunk at near-max settings, and it looked gorgeous. Input lag was almost non-existent. It felt like I was playing on a local machine. Of course, Shadow PC is way more expensive than the other options, but if you’re serious about cloud gaming and want the best possible experience, it’s definitely worth considering. But the price is pretty steep though.
Wrapping It Up
- Xbox Cloud Gaming: Easy to get into if you have Game Pass, but the streaming quality can be hit or miss.
- Amazon Luna: Decent streaming quality and a good library of games, but still not perfect.
- Shadow PC: The most expensive option, but also the best performance. It’s like having a high-end gaming PC in the cloud.
So yeah, that’s my quick rundown of GeForce Now alternatives. Your mileage may vary depending on your internet connection and personal preferences, but hopefully this gives you a good starting point if you’re looking for something different.