Why Logitech's Steam Deck rival is too ahead of its time

Date:
Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:00:09 +0000

Description:
The Logitech G Cloud will be fantastic in 10 years time, once public Wi-Fi
has improved.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

The Logitech G Cloud is a new handheld streaming console that looks a little too forward-thinking in our age of poor public Wi-Fi.

Now fully announced after leaking last month , the Logitech G Cloud is a portable android-powered device that comes with Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now pre-installed. Launching exclusively in North America on October 17 for $349.99 that's around 308 / AU$527 itll let you play major triple-A games through the cloud, while on the go.

The console features a seven-inch 1080p touchscreen that supports a 60Hz refresh rate, over 12 hours of battery life, as well as haptics, a gyroscope, and remappable controls. It doesnt natively support 5G, though, nor includes
a SIM card slot, so youll have to rely on Wi-Fi to stream anything to the console.

With the Google Play Store pre-installed, youll be able to run some of the best Android games as well. It also supports Xbox Remote Play and Steam Link
, letting you stream your full Xbox and Steam libraries including those
games that arent on Xbox Game Pass directly to the console. A little too early

Logitech Gaming video president Ujesh Desai is excited about the prospect, saying Cloud gaming is a super-exciting new way to play games. I love that
you can access game libraries from anywhere.

What we wanted to do was challenge ourselves to build a device that was perfectly optimized for cloud gaming. This meant precision controls similar to a high-end Xbox controller a large HD screen, amazing battery life and lightweight design so players can enjoy long gaming sessions, without any compromises.

But the Logitech G Clouds central selling point is seriously undermined by
the current state of Wi-Fi accessibility. As a cloud gaming console, youll need to be within range of a strong, stable internet connection to play any games on the device. Unfortunately, the places you're likely to want to take
a portable gaming console trains, airports, cars, and other public places don't usually have reliable Wi-Fi. Bring the Logitech G to your local park
for a spot of outdoor gaming, and youll probably find it's transformed into a defunct lump of molded plastic.

In a decade's time, when superfast public Wi-Fi is the norm, the handheld could present one of the simplest, most affordable ways of playing major triple-A games anywhere you want. For now though, with the state of public Wi-Fi what it is, its use case is pretty limited. Youll likely end up using
it at home, somewhat diminishing its purpose as a truly portable handheld console.

The Logitech G Clouds cost will also raise a few eyebrows. Clocking in at the same price as the Nintendo Switch OLED , and only $50 below the cost of
Valves Steam Deck , many will wonder why they would bother splashing out the streaming-exclusive console. Add to that the subscription fees youd have to shell out for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Nvidia GeForce Now, and the price of Logitechs new bit of kit looks even less appealing.

To attract fence-sitters, Logitech is selling pre-orders of the console for $299.99, knocking $50 off its full retail price. It hasnt said whether the Logitech G Cloud will be coming to other markets outside of North America,
but we expect it will roll out to Europe and other regions in the future. Everything confirmed in the GTA 6 leak, including setting, characters, and combat



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/why-logitechs-steam-deck-rival-is-too-ahead-of- its-time/


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