You’ve always been a gamer, but you’re not so sure about spending hundreds of dollars on new hardware to play the latest games on your Xbox or PlayStation 4. Don’t worry, though; there are plenty of ways to still enjoy all the latest video games without breaking the bank or filling up your living room with noisy and expensive hardware. Whether you just want to get in on all the great free game content out there or you want to play games with an extremely low-end computer that would normally struggle with even older titles, these cloud gaming services will have you covered! The Best Cloud Gaming Services for Free Games Without a High-End PC
Table of Contents
#1: Steam
Steam is the largest online games distribution service. As of 2017, it had 125 million active users and offered over 3,000 games. It is also the only digital distributor to offer both desktop and console games. With Steam, you can play any game just as long as you have an internet connection and Steam installed on your device. It is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android devices and Apple’s iOS devices. The best thing about Steam is that there are no fees or subscription costs. You just purchase games from their store and download them to your device.
#2: PS Now
Sony’s PlayStation Now is one of the newer cloud gaming services available, boasting an impressive library of games. The service is available on PS4 and PS3 consoles, as well as Windows PCs. You can also rent individual games from $2.99 to $19.99 or purchase them outright. One of the best things about this service is that it allows you to play classic PlayStation games, including Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Final Fantasy VII. The graphics might not be quite up to par with the originals, but this could be due to hardware limitations. For those who don’t want to spend money but still want plenty of titles at their disposal, this is your best bet.
#3: Xbox Game Pass
If you’re not so concerned about being able to play the newest games, Xbox Game Pass is perfect. You can sign up to be an Xbox Live Gold member or just subscribe to the monthly service, and you’ll have access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. You’ll also have access to backwards compatibility on your Xbox One console, meaning that if you already have an old favorite game in your library, it will be available on your console as well.
#4: GeForce NOW
GeForce NOW is one of the best cloud gaming services because it allows you to play on your mobile device. You can also use it to play games like Borderlands 2 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which are not available on other services. Plus, with GeForce NOW, there’s no need to buy or download any game files beforehand. With Nvidia’s previous GRID service, you had to make a subscription before being able to play. With GeForce NOW, this process only requires downloading an app from either the App Store or Google Play store.
#5: Shadow
Shadow is a free cloud gaming service that does not require you to have an expensive computer. It offers many games including Destiny 2, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Assassin’s Creed Origins. The only requirement is that you need access to the internet. This can be done through wi-fi or your cell phone carrier. All you have to do is download their software on any device with a browser, sign up for an account, and log in. Once logged in, all of the available games will appear on screen. You will then choose which game you want to play from the list that appears on screen once logged in.
