Google Stadia to Face Competition from Microsoft, Sony and Amazon

Written by Danny Abramov

et|icon_calendar|

November 21, 2019

et|icon_grid-3×3|

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) game streaming platform, Google Stadia, is now out and the reviews seem to have reached a consensus – there is a lot of potential for the future, but right now its just not good enough. It seems that the best game streaming service out there is still a beta.

 Jess Grey in his review for Wired explained, “Even under ideal conditions (fiber connection, directly plugged into the router, 4K HDR OLED TV), there is a noticeable difference between playing a game on Stadia and running the game on local hardware, like a PC or PS4… There’s a certain clarity, depth, and sharpness you get when a game is rendered in real time, and that’s absent with a stream, no matter how high quality it is… With Stadia, games sometimes look like you’re watching an ultra-high-resolution gameplay video rather than actually playing the game yourself. They look drab.”

 Next year, it seems, Google Stadia will have more to deal with than with just improving technical issues, competition awaits. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) are stepping up as well.

 In fact, earlier in October Sony announced that its PlayStation Now streaming service offering access to more than 800 games for $9.99 per month, including God of War. And Microsoft has already started public beta testing of its Project xCloud gaming service. At the moment the service offers 50 games, including big titles like Gears 5 and the Halo games. In addition, Microsoft offers a subscription service called Xbox Game Pass with access to more than 100 titles, also starting at $9.99 per month.

 Then there is Amazon. CNET reports that Amazon is planning to announce its own cloud gaming service next year. One job posting found by CNET reportedly reveals that Amazon strategies to integrate the service with Twitch, which of course is comparable to Google’s ultimate plans for integrating Stadia and YouTube.

 Despite the technical issues that Google Stadia currently has to deal with, the future seems to be bending towards game streaming. Alex Hern in his review for The Guardian described the service as revolutionary, “Its core technology delivers on a promise decades in the making: console-quality gaming, without the console. But revolutions have unpredictable outcomes, leave a trail of destruction in their wake, and have a tendency to destroy those who start them. Will Google be able to see this through?”

Stock price

DAY LOW/HIGH

52 week low/high

Comparables

Related Articles

Disney Shares Fall After CEO Iger Announces to Step Down

Disney Shares Fall After CEO Iger Announces to Step Down

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Board of Directors announced that Robert A. Iger is stepping down from his position as CEO after 15 years, effective immediately, and the Company’s shares started tumbling.  “With the successful launch of...

Simon Property Group to Acquire REIT Taubman Centers

Simon Property Group to Acquire REIT Taubman Centers

On Monday, Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SPG) announced it has agreed to acquire real-estate investment trust Taubman Centers Inc. (NYSE: TCO) in an all-cash deal valued at USD 3.6 billion.  Taubman shares surged 53% early Monday. This year,...

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Shares
Share This