Cloud gaming is a type of technology that allows users to access and play games on remote servers instead of purchasing a physical copy or having it installed on their personal consoles or computers, and in some cases eliminating the need to have dedicated devices to play games because streaming can be more convenient and cost-effective.
Two of the most popular cloud gaming platforms are the Xbox cloud gaming service Xbox Game Pass and the PlayStation cloud gaming service PlayStation Plus.
Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus offer a similar concept of having a large library of games accessible at an affordable price, but their execution differs.
What Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Cloud Gaming Have to Offer
It's important to note that while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus offer a subscription-based service, they each have their unique strengths and weaknesses.
- Playable on tablets, phones, smart TVs
- Play Anywhere Initiative
- Xbox Exclusives on Day 1
- Play games for below retail
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's gaming library and integration with the Xbox ecosystem through the Xcloud app make it an attractive option for Xbox users. To be a little more specific, Xcloud is Microsoft’s cloud gaming app that gives Xbox users with a Gamepass subscription access to their games anywhere that an internet connection is available. Tablets, phones, and even compatible smart TVs can all use the Xcloud app and seamlessly stream games to those devices.
Xbox also has the Play Anywhere Initiative, which says all games released on Xbox consoles will also be released on PC at the same time, so PC gamers can also access their favorite games through Game Pass, though with a slightly different library of on-demand titles. In addition, every new Xbox-exclusive game is added to Xbox Game Pass on the day of its release. Instead of purchasing a copy of a game like Atomic Heart, you can access it by subscribing to Xbox Game Pass, which costs a fraction of the price of purchasing the game outright.
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- Exclusive titles from past Sony libraries
- Classic games from PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP
- Cloud storage for saved games
- 2 free games a month
The offerings of PlayStation Plus in terms of cloud gaming differ. While there is a slate of games available on PlayStation Plus, PlayStation-exclusive games aren’t released on PlayStation Plus on the day of release like Xbox-exclusive games are. So PlayStation Plus owners have to buy every PlayStation exclusive title individually, which can cost a pretty penny depending on how many games you buy every year.
However, the PlayStation Plus lineup of games includes both exclusive titles from Sony’s recent history of PS4 and PS5 releases as well as classic games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP.
PlayStation Plus Essential grants all the basic features of PlayStation Plus, such as cloud storage for all saved games. Monthly access to two free games for PS4 and PS5 and online multiplayer access. PlayStation Plus Extra gives access to a catalog of 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. PlayStation’s formerly named PlayStation Now service was rolled into PlayStation Plus, and this is the tier that will give gamers access to game streaming. PlayStation Plus Premium gives gamers access to another 300 games, including PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP-emulated games.
Xbox and PlayStation Cloud Gaming Quality of Life
Another important factor to consider is the ease of use and accessibility of the cloud gaming services themselves. Xbox Game Pass utilizes Microsoft's Azure cloud technology to provide low latency streaming for smooth gameplay. PlayStation Plus unfortunately has a history of poor connection quality, high latency, and muddy visuals due to the poor connection quality.
Streamed games can be extremely low resolution unless the connection they’re being streamed on is extremely strong, and latency issues means that games can be difficult to play due to unresponsive controls, which makes it difficult to play some games that require quick decision-making, such as first-person shooters like Destiny 2.
Pricing of Xbox Cloud Gaming vs PlayStation Cloud Gaming Subscriptions
The pricing structures of Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus differ from each other.
Xbox Game Pass Pricing
Xbox Game Pass has different membership tiers, including Game Pass Ultimate, which includes Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass for PC, and Game Pass for consoles, and provides access to the full Xbox cloud gaming experience for $14.99. Game Pass for consoles is $9.99 a month, and Game Pass for PC is also $9.99 a month. Game Pass Ultimate gives you everything, but if you only have a PC or you only have an Xbox Console, there is an option to suit your needs.
PlayStation Plus Pricing
PlayStation Plus has three tiers of membership. $9.99 a month for essential, $15.99 a month for extra, and $17.99 a month for premium, and the higher the tier you’re subscribed to, the more games and features that you have access to.
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Xbox Cloud Gaming Library Compared to PlayStation’s Cloud Library
When it comes to the game library, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has over 100 games, including popular titles like Gears 5, Halo Infinite, and Hi-Fi Rush.
PlayStation Plus, on the other hand, has a larger library of around 700 games, including iconic games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and exclusive titles such as God of War.
Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, cloud gaming has revolutionized the way gamers access and play the games that they love. The Xbox cloud gaming and PlayStation cloud gaming initiatives are two of the leading cloud gaming platforms that offer an extensive library of games.
PlayStation Plus and Game Pass both have a large and well-curated library of games. When talking about the two, the question of “which is better?” often comes up, and that’s a question that can’t really be answered by anyone other than the individual asking it because Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus provide different things in different ways. Xbox Game Pass will be better for some gamers, and PlayStation Plus will be better for others; it just comes down to what you’re looking for in particular.
The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's AI Image Generator via the prompt "a video game on a cloud".