Research has discovered that, despite its apparent prevalence, very few people actually know what cloud gaming is.
Four in Five People Don't Know What Cloud Gaming Is
Cloud gaming isn't a new thing. There are tonnes of cloud gaming platforms out there. Google Stadia is one cloud gaming platform model. Nvidia's GeForce Now is also a cloud gaming platform, although its uses are completely different.
However, according to research by Omdia, four out of every five people aren't aware of cloud gaming's potential. By this, we mean that they don't understand what cloud gaming can do and what they can use it for.
What Is Cloud Gaming?
In a nutshell, cloud gaming platforms allow you to access games that the platform providers store on a server, without having to use a console.
Google's Stadia service, to return to the previous example, has a library of games that can users can access via Google's Stadia servers.
Some of these games are free, as part of a paid subscription, while some cost the full price of a digital title on, say, a console. You can then play Stadia's games anywhere, as long as you can access the app on a compatible device.
Nvidia's GeForce Now doesn't strictly have any titles of its own. Instead, it acts as a go-between, allowing you to access games you already own on the likes of Steam and your Epic Games account.
Do More People Need to Know About Cloud Gaming?
As developers launch more cloud gaming services, this data makes one wonder why so many brands are releasing new platforms to such a small group of people.
If four in five of us don't know what cloud gaming is capable of, then perhaps those marketing them should educate potential users more. This way, their user base will grow, and perhaps we can justify an abundance of cloud gaming platforms.
Right now, it seems like an already small market is becoming vastly over-saturated with services that most people aren't even aware exists.