Product test

The cloud gaming experience: Stadia vs. Geforce Now vs Xbox Cloud Gaming

25.1.2021

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Stadia, Geforce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming stream games to your smartphone, laptop or TV. Each service does it in their own special way. Therefore, a direct comparison is best for seeing how they match up.

More and more cloud gaming services are entering the market. Being able to play the latest blockbuster games without expensive hardware, tedious installation and annoying updates sounds tempting. Google's Stadia, Nvidia's Geforce Now and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming are currently the most promising providers. Via the app or browser, console and PC games can be played in one click. PS Now from Sony doesn't work via smartphone, Shadow is too complicated for the masses and Amazon Luna isn't yet available in Switzerland. Therefore, I limited myself to the first three in this test. I'm not only interested in what's on offer, but also how the gaming experience compares directly.

Xbox Cloud Gaming

Games on offer: over 150
Quality: up to 720p
Platforms: Android
Price: CHF 14.99/month – starting at EUR 9.99/month
Trial period: first month for CHF 1/EUR

Currently, Xbox Cloud Gaming is only available for Android and only as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The iOS and PC version are to follow this year. This gives you the biggest package deal including new releases. Your saves are synchronised so you can continue playing the same game on PC or Xbox.

Geforce Now

Games on offer: over 2000
Quality: up to 1080p, 5.1 surround sound
Platforms: computer, laptop, Android smartphones, Nvidia Shield
Price: free, Founders 6.– CHF/month – EUR 5.49/month
Trial period: not available

Ubisoft Connect, Epic Store, Steam, GoG. Almost all PC platforms are available on Geforce Now. Unfortunately, the game selection has shrunk considerably since Nvidia switched from the free beta to a subscription model. Since then, countless developers and publishers have turned away and not returned. Nevertheless, the game selection remains the largest. Over 2000 titles are compatible, which you can either buy or already own on the respective platforms. However, it usually takes a few weeks or months until a newly released game is also available on Geforce Now. «Cyberpunk 2077» or «Immortals Fenix Rising» were already playable at launch.

Geforce Now is available for free limited to one hour of play time at a time. However, there are often waiting times due to busy servers. As a paying customer, you'll only have this problem when there's particularly high demand, such as at the «Cyberpunk 2077» launch.

Stadia

Games on offer: over 100
Quality: up to 4K, 5.1 surround sound
Platform: Android, iOS, iPad OS, Chrome, Chromecast Ultra
Price: free, Stadia Pro for 10.– CHF/month – EUR 9.99/month
Trial period: 3 months

Stadia is available for free, with the resolution capped at 1080p and the requirement of buying games. In the Pro version, you pay ten francs a month for instant access to around 35 games (increasing), discounts on purchases, and resolutions up to 4K with HDR and surround sound.

A first look

Xbox Cloud Gaming

The 720p limited resolution is a drawback at first glance, but the difference is hardly noticeable when playing on smartphones and even a tablet. Noticeably, however, games don't even completely fill the smartphone screen vertically. A black border remains. With Stadia and Geforce Now, black borders on the sides are necessary as games usually rely on a 16:9 format, with smartphones being wider (for example, 19.5:9 in the Pixel 5).

The Game Pass app is clear and games launch quickly, though not as fast as Stadia. Xbox Cloud Gaming had to struggle with connection problems from time to time in my test, so the image quality was sometimes badly affected. However, the service is also still in beta.

Pro:

Large selection of games
- Many new games
- Easy operation

Con:

Only as part of Game Pass Ultimate
- Only for Android
- No 4K or HDR

Geforce Now

The app is relatively clear. However, if you want to scroll through your entire available Steam library, you'll first need to make your Steam profile public. Otherwise, Geforce Now cannot read out the corresponding information. Then you're left with manually searching for a game.

Steam games require you to log in almost every time.

The Geforce Now user experience is definitely the worst of the three. All because you log in to Geforce Now on a virtual PC located in a data centre. There you can launch Steam, Epic or whatever you need. Most of the time you have to type in your respective login data again – including the code if you've activated two-way security. And if the game itself also requires a login, that'll be required every time as well. Thus, Nvidia's service takes ages to fully launch a game, by far the longest. In my opinion, Geforce Now is only worth it if you play longer sessions. Otherwise, the whole login procedure is unreasonable.

Pro:

There's a free version
- Large selection of games
- Games do not have to be purchased additionally
- Available on many devices
- Games are partially available at launch

Con:

Use often clunky
- No 4K or HDR
Performance could be better
- Not for iPhone or iPad
- Strongly limited in free version
- Loading times

Stadia

Google is driving an intermediate model of flat rate and compulsory purchase. Stadia's app and operation seem the most mature. Besides, it is the most widely available of the three and doesn't even need to be installed in the browser. There's even an iOS version. Still, it's disappointing that you only get a console equivalent of the games and none on PC level. Ray tracing is also missing. And in multiplayer games without crossplay such as «PUBG», you can only play against other Stadia users, which affects both the game modes offered and the matchmaking times.

Pro:

Easy operation
- Decent performance
- Many new games
- The Pro subscription includes over 30 games
- Cross-platform
- 4K

Con:

No real games flat rate
- Smallest game selection

Performance

Unfortunately, an exact comparison of the input lag between all three systems isn't possible since Xbox Cloud Gaming isn't yet available on PC. That would provide reasonably reliable testing methods to measure input delay. There are also no games available on all three platforms except for «Destiny 2». I thus had to rely on my gut and my eyes. I tested the smartphone, TV and PC versions (if available). You can also install the Xbox Cloud Gaming app on Android TVs or the Nvidia Shield via sideload.

For comparison, I looked at games that exist on at least two platforms. As a test device, I used the LG OLED CX in gaming mode and for mobile, I used my Pixel 5 with the Razer Kishi controller for comparability. With the Stadia Controller, which connects directly to the servers via Wi-Fi, the input lag could theoretically be even lower.

«Destiny 2»

In Bungie's action MMO Destiny 2, Stadia gains a slight visual edge on PC or TV, it even controls very smoothly in 4K. On 1080p, it runs virtually lag free on both Stadia and Geforce Now. Almost all versions look the same on smartphones. Stadia works best overall.

«Destiny 2» with Xbox Cloud Gaming on smartphones.

«Cyberpunk 2077»

«Cyberpunk 2077» looks better in Stadia 4K than via Geforce Now. No matter whether Performance or Quality mode is selected. With Nvidia's service, the image is much blurrier in 1080p. Stadia's lag is pleasingly low, I could even play with mouse. Some latency is definitely noticeable, but it works well enough. If you select «Visuals» mode, the image doesn't really improve, instead becoming enormously sluggish. If I set details to «Medium» and DLSS to «Auto» in Geforce Now, the lag is still a bit lower than with Stadia. On «Ultra» or with ray tracing, however, controlling becomes rather tough. Again, if you limit Stadia to 1080p, you'll experience less lag than with Geforce Now.

«Hitman 1»

«Hitman 1» is a bit older and not a graphical powerhouse. Moreover, it's a rather calm game that rarely requires hectic control. Nevertheless, it runs a bit smoother on Stadia compared to Geforce Now despite the higher resolution. This, in turn, doesn't make much of a difference visually.

«Dead by Daylight»

«Dead by Daylight,» the asymmetrical serial killer multiplayer hit, is available on Stadia and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Both mobile versions control excellently, and there are hardly any differences graphically. The Stadia version might look a little bit sharper, but that really doesn't matter on a 5.5-inch display.

«Control»

«Control» runs nearly lag-free on Geforce Now. Any minimal lag is truly negligible. Nice, as the game requires precise controls during the chaotic and hectic battles. Ray tracing is the cherry on top. Something Xbox Cloud Gaming doesn't offer, but which is also only noticeable when gaming on a big screen or TV.

«PUBG»

The Battle Royale hit «PUBG» runs solidly on Stadia, while the Xbox Cloud Gaming version controls significantly worse. The difference is quite stark on TVs. However, the latter's TV app also isn't officially available and can only be installed via sideload. Nevertheless, the versions aren't only visually different, but also in terms of input lag. Currently, only slow and undemanding games are somewhat playable with this workaround.

Xbox Cloud Gaming sometimes struggled with connection issues. The image quality drops drastically in the process.

«Deep Rock Galactic»

The Xbox Cloud Gaming version also loses out in the cooperative dwarf space game «Deep Rock Galactic». There, controls are much spongier than with Geforce Now. It also jerks around more often. Graphically, I can't see any difference between Geforce Now's 720p and 1080p.

«Deep Rock Galactic» with Geforce Now on smartphones.

Games tend to look best on Stadia thanks to the higher resolutions. Especially via Chromecast on TVs, as HDR is only available there. Generally, it looks cleaner there than via the browser on PC. As the games are compressed video streams, the image is never as sharp as when you play a game natively on PC. Therefore, the improved graphics options that you can manually set in Geforce Now are less important. At least if you play on a 1440p display or higher. If your monitor only supports 1080p anyway, you'll potentially get the best image via Geforce Now.

When you switch to a smartphone or tablet, the differences blur together even more. At least they're hardly recognisable on small displays. Even Xbox Cloud Gaming, which offers by far the lowest resolution at 720p, hardly looks any worse than the competition.

Input lag increases significantly on mobile devices even with a Wi-Fi connection. Even a controller can't hide that fact. It still bothers me less than if I were gaming on console or PC. The experience is simply different on a small screen. This also has advantages. It takes much less for a game to look impressive. «Destiny 2,» «Cyberpunk 2077» or «Sea of Thieves» are infinitely superior to mobile games graphically. No matter if they run in 720p and medium details.

For the last test, I switched to the 4G network (Sunrise). As long as the connection is stable, you should be able to game with few problems. However, buffering occurs now and then, with the resolution or bit rate being briefly reduced. It also jerks around more often than via Wi-Fi. Your connection has to be really good. In my in-laws' Valais chalet, I could hardly start a game with 4G at two bars. And if I did, it usually crashed again after a short time.

Loading times

To compare loading times, I launched the services on my Pixel 5. I measured the time from activating the app to the main menu, the first key command respectively.

	Stadia	Geforce Now	Xbox Cloud Gaming
Destiny 2	25s	120s*	31s
Cyberpunk 2077	43s	60s	Not available
Control	Not available	74s	75s
Dead by Daylight	33s	Not available	90s
PUBG	42s	Not available	60s
Hitman 1	26s	110s*	Not available
Deep Rock Galactic	Not available	93s	67s

Tested with the mobile versions on a Pixel 5 and Wi-Fi.* Including login process for Steam.

Geforce Now takes by far the longest to load a game. Depending on whether you still have to type in your Steam login data, a client update is pending or the save state has to be synchronised. Most of the time you also have to adjust graphical settings. Xbox Cloud Gaming and Stadia offer you fewer options, but they also start up much faster.

My conclusion: no clear winner

On paper, Geforce Now has the best offer, at least for PC gamers. You can use your existing library across platforms. In reality, however, Nvidia's streaming service is by far the least user-friendly. The fact that you have to log in to Steam almost every time you start a game, that the client sometimes needs an update or that you simply get stuck in the menu of a launcher spoils the fun. Even the possibility to play real PC versions including the highest graphics settings doesn't really pay off. Games still usually look better on Stadia due to the higher resolution, even if certain graphic effects are missing. Google's service offers HDR for this purpose. Stadia, on the other hand, has the most technically advanced service, but its offer is by far the smallest. At least you get over 30 games in the paid version.

Finally, Xbox Cloud Gaming is somewhere in between. The offer is larger than Stadia's, but smaller than Geforce Now. However, games don't have to be bought, and thanks to cross save, you can continue playing a game on PC or Xbox. With a resolution of only 720p and Android exclusivity, Microsoft's offering is still very limited and rightly carries its beta label.

None of the three services is really mature. But cloud gaming is no longer a pipe dream. Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Geforce Now already provide a decent offer and are legitimate alternatives to a console or a PC depending on the demands. However, we should definitely allow them to mature a bit longer.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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The cloud gaming experience: Stadia vs. Geforce Now vs Xbox Cloud Gaming

Xbox Cloud Gaming

Geforce Now

Stadia

A first look

Xbox Cloud Gaming

Geforce Now

Stadia

Performance

«Destiny 2»

«Cyberpunk 2077»

«Hitman 1»

«Dead by Daylight»

«Control»

«PUBG»

«Deep Rock Galactic»

Loading times

My conclusion: no clear winner

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