The problem is not bandwidth, but latency. Video games are based on instant feedback. Some games may bend the definition of “instant” a bit, but any delay of more than half a second between input and action would be impossible to replicate for even the most forgiving games.
This is the problem I faced when testing Xbox Cloud Gaming on a Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K maximum. On paper, this is one of the most accessible ways to access Xbox games. With this $60 streaming device and an Xbox Bluetooth controller, you can stream games from the cloud to any device that has an HDMI input.
In practice, the input lag was problematic. I tried to play star field on Fire TV and I was able to role-play just fine, but as soon as the combat started, I felt like I was learning to control a puppet in real time. Under gunshots. I would briefly move my control stick in one direction for a moment, release it, and watch the stick return to its default position, and so my character would move. That’s not a good way to dodge bullets. It worked a little better for more casual games like Donut Countybut even then it felt a little like dictating an email to someone who writes slowly.
Bluetooth is fine for basic things like streaming music, but when you need to sync images and audio inputs, the cracks start to appear. Add to that the natural latency that comes with pinging a remote server somewhere in the world, and it can get pretty bad. Even when playing locally, console manufacturers use proprietary wireless protocols or add custom enhancements on top of Bluetooth to address the latency issue.
One solution is to use a controller that bypasses Bluetooth and connects directly to Wi-Fi. This is something Google’s ill-fated Stadia tried, and Microsoft may also be working on—which eliminates a link in the chain. Currently, my Xbox controller connects via Bluetooth to my Fire TV Stick, which then passes that signal to my Wi-Fi router, each step adding precious milliseconds.
A Wi-Fi controller could help reduce that. But until Wi-Fi controllers (or some low-latency version) become common, cloud streaming will always struggle. You may still have problems even with such a device, as long as Internet speeds vary greatly by region. This means that a console will probably still be necessary to play games locally. But does it have to be an Xbox?
The Windows factor
Microsoft may own Windows, but Valve has dominated the PC gaming space for over a decade. Valve operates the Steam game store and, although its dominance is slow (very slowly) eroding, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll have a Steam library with hundreds of games if you play on a desktop or laptop.
There is little reason for PC gamers to purchase games through the Xbox Store instead of Steam (or Epic either GOGO), but Xbox Game Pass changes that equation. For $10 to $20 a monthPlayers can gain access to a generous library of games. It is a convincing agreement that has been reached more than 34 million subscriberswhich may even be more than the total number of Xbox Series X/S units sold.
