The future of gaming is almost certainly in the cloud. PlayStation Plus, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna are all prominent cloud gaming services. They stream games to your TV, without a games console or gaming PC, for a fee.

But which one is best? Which of these cloud gaming services offers the best games, and which should you subscribe to? In this article, we compile a list of the best cloud gaming services to help you decide which, if any, you want to subscribe to.

What Is Cloud Gaming?

Traditionally, gaming requires expensive hardware. This might be a games console, a gaming PC, or a set-top box (such as Amazon Fire TV or Android TV).

With cloud gaming, expensive hardware is no longer required. Instead, the games are streamed to you over the internet, much like a movie is on Netflix. A fast broadband internet connection is required; the higher, the better.

Cloud gaming essentially lets you play games on any device. It might be a phone or tablet, a netbook, or an older laptop or PC. Mac owners can potentially play PC games that aren't released on their platform.

Cloud gaming services rely on a monthly subscription for access. Typically, you'll get a few free games; while some require dedicated devices, these are cheaper than a current-gen games console. In most cases, video game streaming services offer mobile apps, meaning you can enjoy AAA games on almost any device.

Our guide to cloud gaming explains things in more detail.

Several cloud gaming platforms are available:

  1. GeForce Now
  2. PlayStation Now
  3. Utomik
  4. Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly Project xCloud)
  5. Antstream Arcade
  6. Amazon Luna
  7. Blacknut

You can sign up to these today--but which cloud gaming service is right for you? Read on to find out...

1. GeForce Now

GeForce Now is graphics chip designer NVIDIA's cloud-based gaming service for Windows, macOS, SHIELD TV, and Android devices.

GeForce Now lets you access your existing library of games on Steam, Origin, and other digital delivery platforms for PC. These are then streamed to the device running GeForce Now.

Available in North America and Europe, it has three membership levels: Free, Priority, and Ultimate.

  • Free members get standard access and one-hour sessions on standard gaming servers.
  • Priority members pay $9.99/month ($49.99 for six months) for priority server access and extended six-hour sessions with 1080p and 60FPS. Games are streamed from “premium rig” servers with RTX support.
  • Ultimate members get the highest performance for $19.99/month ($99.99 for six months) with GeForce RTX 3080 rig access, fastest servers, eight-hour sessions, and 4K resolution @120FPS.

A massive benefit of GeForce Now is that you keep the games you've bought if you cancel the service. This makes it almost unique among cloud gaming services.

2. PlayStation Plus Premium

The PlayStation Now service has been discontinued, and cloud gaming folded into PlayStation Plus Premium.

Want to play your Sony PlayStation favorites on a PC from the cloud. With PlayStation Plus Premium, you can.

While the basic monthly subscription for PlayStation Plus (Essential) is $9.99 PlayStation Plus Premium is more expensive, but boasts far more features.

It affords access to a huge collection of PlayStation games (current and classic) games, and costs $17.99/month ($49.99 for three months, $119.99 every 12 months).

With over 800 games, you're going to be spoiled for choice. New titles are added every month. To play PlayStation Plus Premium cloud games on your PC, visit the PlayStation Plus app download page.

3. Utomik

Over 1415 games across all genres are available with Utomik, a relatively new cloud gaming service. Of these, 250+ titles are available to play in the cloud, with new games added monthly.

Access to Utomik’s cloud gaming service is via Windows PC, Android mobile device, or Samsung or LG smart TVs. Games have been curated for different platforms; some are suitable for PC, others for TV, others for mobile.

Utomik offers a free 14-day trial, with three membership options: Personal, Personal + Cloud, and Family + Cloud.

4. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Developed by Microsoft as Project xCloud, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) has been incorporated into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It can stream Xbox games to consoles, PCs, Android, and iOS phones and tablets. Some smart TVs (e.g. the Samsung QE43Q60B) also support Xbox Cloud Gaming.

At the time of writing, over 300 games are included; all you need is a suitable controller. Xbox controllers and various third party devices can all be used for cloud gaming.

An optional gaming clip is also available for connecting your Android phone to your preferred controller.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $14.99/month.

5. Antstream Arcade

Whereas most cloud gaming services offer AAA titles and indie games, Antstream Arcade offers over 1500 retro games.

With apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and Amazon TV and tablet devices, you can sign up from $1 a month.

If you want more, Antstream Arcade Premium gives you unlimited play and the ability to save and continue at any point. Usually this is $39.99 annually; currently you can sign up for just $12 on the Green Man Gaming discount site.

With titles as diverse as R-Type, Pac-man, Earthworm Jim, there is plenty to play here. Games, mini-game challenges, tournaments, and a community of retro gamers, are all accessible from any device. If playing old games is your thing, you can do it in the cloud with Antstream Arcade.

6. Amazon Luna

Amazon Luna has slotted into the hole left by Google Stadia's closure and is similarly easy to get started with.

The Luna+ option is $9.99/month and features over 100 games. You also have the option to pay $17.99/month to play Ubisoft titles in the cloud, or $4.99/month for Jackbox party games.

As you can see, Amazon Luna is quite expensive, although Luna+ does have a 7-day trial. Meanwhile, if you already have an Amazon Prime subscription, some games are free to play.

An Amazon Luna controller is also available.

7. Blacknut

Boasting 500 games for $15.99 a month, Blacknut seems like a good deal. It gives you five separate accounts, parental controls, an ad-free experience, no in-game purchases, and the ability to stop playing on one device and continue on another.

Claiming that “any of your screens can be a game console,” Blacknut has no apps. Instead, everything is made possible via your device’s web browser. If your smart TV has a browser, Blacknut is an option, just as it is for mobiles and computers.

With a good mix of AAA and indie titles, Blacknut games are compatible with the Xbox One Bluetooth controller. The Xbox Adaptive Controller is also supported, as are a few others.

Which Cloud Gaming Service Is Best?

The game streaming platform you choose may be informed by the devices you own. PlayStation and Xbox fans might prefer to stay within their existing ecosystems, while PC users may opt for GeForce Now.

Meanwhile, Amazon Luna is a relative newcomer but has the reach to make a big impact.

Overall, we suspect GeForce Now will break through as the biggest and best cloud gaming service. But only time will tell. For now, cast your eyes over the details of each of these cloud gaming services, and choose the best one for you based on the cost and supported devices.