What is Streaming?
Streaming is essentially a way to access content without having to actually download it to your device. You essentially are just viewing or listening to the content over the internet, rather than having to store it locally. It’s incredibly popular in the realm of streaming services like Netflix, where people can watch their favorite shows and movies just by logging in to the streaming platform.
Streaming is also becoming increasingly popular for playing PC games. It’s a service that allows gamers to play games directly from a remotely located server, allowing them to avoid the large download sizes and having to worry about hardware limitations. This is especially true of popular PC games which are often quite large in size, requiring pretty beefy hardware to run them properly.
Advantages of Streaming your Games
There are quite a few advantages to streaming your games, some of which are shared with console gamers and some of which are exclusive to PC gamers. Here are some of the biggest advantages of streaming popular PC games on a streaming platform:
No Long Download Times
One of the biggest advantages of streaming PC games is that you don’t have to worry about long download times. With most games requiring upwards of 10GB of download, this can take hours to complete, not to mention the additional updates that need to be downloaded as well. With streaming, all of this is eliminated as the game is already stored on a server, so all you need to do is log in to the streaming platform and start playing.
No Need for a Beefy PC
Another advantage of streaming PC games is that you don’t need a beefy PC to play the games. This is because the games are actually being run on the server, rather than your PC. This means that even lower end PCs can run the games without any issues, as they don’t have to actually render them, they just have to stream the video. This makes it much more accessible for casual gamers who don’t want to invest in a high end gaming rig.
Instant Access
A major advantage to streaming games is that you can get instant access to the games. As I mentioned before, there’s no need to worry about large downloads or waiting for the games to update. Once you are logged into the streaming service, you can start playing the games immediately, with no waiting around.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Another major advantage of streaming your games is that they will be compatible across different platforms. This means that you can play the same game on your PC, tablet, smartphone or even your console. This makes it far easier to play with friends who have different systems, as you can all play together without any issues.
Latest Updates
Streaming also makes keeping your games up to date a lot easier. Since the games are run on a server rather than on your computer, all you need to do is log in to the streaming platform and the game will always be up to date, as it will be updated automatically by the server. This means that you don’t have to worry about manually updating the games, or having to miss out on updates because you didn’t download them in time.
Cheaper
Finally, streaming is typically cheaper than buying and downloading the games, as you don’t have to buy a physical copy of the game. Most streaming services offer subscription models, where you pay a monthly fee and you can then access their library of games.
Conclusion
Streaming PC games is becoming increasingly popular and there are plenty of advantages to doing it. From avoiding long download times, not needing a beefy PC to play the games, being able to access the latest updates and having cross-platform compatibility, streaming games is becoming the preferred way to game for many gamers. Plus, it’s also cheaper than buying the games, as you can access them for a monthly fee.
Image Credit: Pexels