General Gaming Article |
- Dear Maximum PC Community and /r/PCMasterRace
- Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog Headset Review
- Ubuntu Version of Intel's Compute Stick Arrives Next Week
- Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair HX750i 750W PSU, NZXT Source 210 Case, and More!
- Chicago Implements 9 Percent Cloud Tax on Streaming Services
- This Is How Microsoft Will Roll Out Windows 10
- Cisco to Buy OpenDNS for $635 Million, No Service Changes Coming
- Game Streaming 101
| Dear Maximum PC Community and /r/PCMasterRace Posted: 02 Jul 2015 04:09 PM PDT Several months ago, Maximum PC ran a story in the January 2015 issue that was called "Maximum PC, Minimum Effort: The lazy guy's alternative guide to being a tech guru" It was supposed to be a cheeky article about PC maintenance with the occasional satirical twist, but sadly, it didn't work. What we ended up with was an article chock-full of terrible advice that left readers angry and confused. For that, I personally apologize. Here's a snippet from the article that's gotten readers on Reddit so riled up: I have no qualms about saying that the article fell short of the mark in many ways. Not to make excuses, but it was written over half a year ago, and no one on our current roster would even think to pen something so filled with heresy today. Such advice as "always go with whatever Amazon suggests" might be great advice if you're lazy, or the writer might have been trying to make a joke, but for a PC enthusiast seeking a new GPU, that advice is about as ridiculous and useful as having an an extra toe on your elbow. Let me make it absolutely clear: we build, tweak, tune, diagnose, benchmark, test, research, and tune everything here. Everyone on staff carries the same strands of DNA that are chemically and biologically bonded since birth: We are hardcore PC and hardware enthusiasts through and through. There are times when there is disagreement among our staff about what kind of features or ideas we should chase after, but it's all with good intent. And yes, like those of you who were turned off by this particular article, the current cast feels the same way, too. In my first editor's note, which came out in February 2015, I touched on Maximum PC's past. For longtime readers of the magazine, you might recall that we were previously named boot Magazine. I mentioned in that article of boot's ability to excite and educate in a way that no other publication ever did. I also mentioned that we're working to bring back that energy. To the Maximum PC community and to the PC community on the PCMasterRace subreddit, I formally apologize for that article and acknowledge how cringey it came across. Rest assured, it won't happen again. / Tuan |
| Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog Headset Review Posted: 02 Jul 2015 03:52 PM PDT A specialized headset for a specialized missionAt A GLANCE (+) Spec Ops (-) Semper Rigidum When you think about hardware required to play games on a PC, the focus instantly go to CPU and GPU, with little consideration often reserved for audio. Audio is immensely important in a gaming experience, just as it is in movies. But since most of us don't play games in a theater and instead have neighbors or loved ones that don't want to hear every gunshot or spell cast, a good gaming headset is a must for any serious gamer. We spent a while testing the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog and were pleasantly surprised. The Kave XTD Analog is, just as its name says, an analog gaming headset (read: no drivers required). The 3.5mm jacks plug into your sound card at the back of your PC to give you Dolby 5.1 surround sound. There's a single USB connector to supply power to the in-line remote and a couple of lights that are on the headset itself. At first, you may ask yourself: Why would I want 5.1 surround when my sound card supports 7.1? The answer lies in the fact surround sound is based on placement of speakers in a room. A typical 5.1 setup has five speakers: left front, center, right front, right rear, and left rear. A 7.1 setup adds two more: left and right. As rooms get bigger, it becomes harder to cleanly mix sounds as the fade from rear to front or vice versa the farther apart the speakers are. Adding the two extra speakers in 7.1 alleviates the resulting "sound hole." When you take that model and scale it down to a headset, the need for the two discrete drivers for 7.1 disappears, since there is so little distance between the speaker and your ear canal. As a result, the 5.1 surround on these cans sounds great, and one doesn't feel like they're missing out on the extra two speakers. Roccat's Kave XTD line of headsets features line noise cancellation, so you don't get as much of that white noise hiss when there's no sound playing. In game, gunshots in first-person shooters sound accurately placed, and speech of characters sounds crisp and clear. The headset itself feels comfy, and we wore it for a couple of hours without any discomfort during testing. The structural elements of the headset are made of a heavy plastic that feels pretty durable, but it would have been nice to see aluminum. Ear cups and headband padding are made out of a cushy foam that feels nice and squishy to the touch. The ear cups are easy to remove and clip into place, making replacing worn cups a cinch. The headset weighs in at 11.8 ounces (335g), which is enough to make the headset feel hefty in your hands, yet lightweight when affixed to your noggin. The attached mic works well and can swing up to stay out of your way when you need to play those single-player campaigns. Our main gripe is that the mic boom is rigid, so the user has no real choice over the distance between the mic and mouth. Attaching the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog is fairly easy, provided you have color-coded 3.5mm female jacks on your motherboard or sound card. Our test rig, ironically, had 3.5mm female jacks that were identically colored to preserve the look of the rear panel. The Kave's male jacks don't have symbols printed on the plastic to give any hints. We can never remember what colors mean what, so we had to look it up. The inline remote has four discrete volume control wheels. The left two wheels control subwoofer and rear channels, while the other two control the center and front channels. There is a switch for "movie" and "game" modes, too. Honestly, the difference in modes is really subjective and up to taste. But that's the cool thing about this remote: It lets you customize your levels to your liking, and the game/movie switch is just one extra level of customization. You'll find the obligatory mic switch next to the movie/game switch. At the far end of the remote closest to the cable that heads to the PC, you'll find the volume knob. The knob has a little resistance to it, so you don't over-adjust your volume too much. If you give it a quick twist, you can still silence or bring up the battle sounds really quickly if needed. The remote also has a belt clip built in, and comes with a stand for your desk. The little stand doesn't have much weight to it, so it's easily knocked over or moved with an unintended tug of the headset's cable. The stand does have a little lip on the end, so if you have a small paperweight or book, you can use that to weigh it down. That leads us to another point: This headset is designed to be bound to your PC. It can't disconnect from the inline remote, nor does the mic detach from the headset. This is a feature that we found really useful in other headsets like the Kingston HyperX Cloud II, but isn't completely damning if you accept that you won't be wearing these on your commute. The Kave XTD 5.1 Analog has a bigger brother, the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital. The Digital variant has the same headset design, but uses a different remote with a USB sound card built in. The Digital variant also has Bluetooth connectivity so you can use the headset to answer calls while in the fray. Overall, the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog headset focuses on one thing: gaming. By skirting the edge of over-specialization, it achieves good results for an analog headset in-game at the expense of usability while AFK. |
| Ubuntu Version of Intel's Compute Stick Arrives Next Week Posted: 02 Jul 2015 03:26 PM PDT An Intel Compute Stick with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS installedDon't feel like carrying around a notebook on your next business trip? You might want to take a look at the Intel Compute Stick, a computing solution that can be carried in a pocket or purse. Even more, it can plug into an HDMI port on any HDTV or monitor, making it a great addition your collection of mobile devices. That said, Intel plans to release an Ubuntu version of its Compute Stick next week. This release follows the introduction of Intel's Compute Stick with Windows 8.1 with Bing earlier this year, which costs a mere $149. This Ubuntu version will cost only $110, but the hardware specs are slightly lower than the vanilla Intel version launched months ago. So let's do a comparison. According to the specs, the Ubuntu stick is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor and 1GB of DDR3L RAM. The device also provides 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for additional storage, a full-size USB 2.0 port, a microUSB port for power, and a built-in HDMI 1.4a connector. The device even provides Bluetooth 4.0 and Wireless N connectivity. As for the Windows 8.1 version of Intel's Compute Stick, this solution is also powered by the Intel Atom Z3735F processor. However, this model has 2GB of DDR3L RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot for additional storage. There's also the full-size USB 2.0 port, the microUSB port, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wireless N connectivity. Essentially, the Ubuntu offering has less RAM and internal storage than the Windows model, hence the smaller price tag. Still, whether it's the Ubuntu model or the Windows 8.1 version, customers can plug in a keyboard, a mouse, or some other input device thanks to the full USB 2.0 port. Users can also use Bluetooth to connect a peripheral, completing a desktop experience without the desktop. "Consumers are looking for a more personal, flexible, and cost-effective computing experience, and also looking for a choice of OS," Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical said. "It's great to see Ubuntu become part of the Compute Stick family. This is another example of how we're working with Intel to bring a wide range of devices to market to give as many people as possible the chance to discover Ubuntu." The Compute Stick with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS will be made available across the globe next week by way of "major online and retail stockists." |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair HX750i 750W PSU, NZXT Source 210 Case, and More! Posted: 02 Jul 2015 11:51 AM PDT Top Deal: Maybe one day our PCs will run on smiles and good intentions. Until then, a solid power supply is still needed. Well, any old power supply could get your rig up and running, but a solidly built one will ensure it runs as it should, and decrease the risk something going up in smoke (take it from us, we've seen cheap power supplies die in dramatic fashion). If you're in the market for one, check out today's top deal for a Corsair HX750i 750W Power Supply for $130 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCATPA27]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). This is a fully modular PSU with 80 Plus Platinum certification and 62.5A available on the single +12V rail. Other Deals: PNY High Performance 128GB microSDXC Flash Card for $68 with $1 shipping (normally $80 - use coupon code: [EMCATPA58]) WD My Passport Ultra Metal Edition 2TB Silver 2.5-inch Portable External Hard Drive for $90 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [EMCATPA44]) NZXT Source 210 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Gaming Case for $40 with free shipping (normally $45 - use coupon code: [EMCATPA82]; additional $10 Mail-in rebate) Rosewill USB Wireless Mini Adapter N150 Wi-Fi Adapter for $6 with free shipping (normally $11 - use coupon code: [EMCATPA53]) |
| Chicago Implements 9 Percent Cloud Tax on Streaming Services Posted: 02 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT Taking money from the cloud The world is rapidly changing, no doubt about it. Gone are most video rental stores, like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, replaced in large part by streaming options like Netflix and Hulu. There's a lot you can do in the cloud these days, and if you live in Chicago, get ready to pay a 9 percent for the privilege. Chicago's new so-called cloud tax goes into effect today. According to The Verge, the new tax is the recent of two recent rulings by the city's Department of Finance. One of the rulings covered "electronically delivered amusements" and the other was for "nonpossessory computer leases." Both are extensions of existing laws that add an extra 9 percent tax on certain online services. Electronically delivered amusements would seem to cover streaming movie and music services -- Netflix, Spotify, and so forth -- while the second could be applied to remote computing offerings. While the details still aren't clear, it seems the law could apply to Amazon Web Services and the like. Depending on how broadly the tax law is enforced and how loose the wording, it's not inconceivable to see this being extended to services like Office 365 and OneDrive. These are consumer taxes, though some companies are gearing up to collect the cloud tax as part of its monthly bill. What that will boil down to is a higher cost for certain services for people who reside in Chicago. This is Chicago's way of reclaiming tax dollars that local businesses have lost to online services. Be that as it may, this is an issue that will likely end up in court. |
| This Is How Microsoft Will Roll Out Windows 10 Posted: 02 Jul 2015 10:03 AM PDT Microsoft's Terry Myerson updated Windows Blog with news on how the company plans to release Windows 10 to the masses later this month. The launch will begin with OEM partners so that they can get their products ready for the July 29 release date. After that, Microsoft will release a build to retailers so that they can assist customers who purchased devices with Windows 8.1 installed. Once July 29 arrives, Microsoft will begin rolling out Windows 10 to the individuals participating in the Windows Insiders program. The company will also begin rolling out the new OS to those who reserved a space in the release schedule. This will be done in waves and will "slowly scale up" the release. "Each day of the roll-out, we will listen, learn and update the experience for all Windows 10 users," Myerson writes. "If you reserved your copy of Windows 10, we will notify you once our compatibility work confirms you will have a great experience, and Windows 10 has been downloaded on your system." For customers that are not ready for the upgrade, Microsoft may provide those users with information about contacting the device manager or application provider. If the device is incompatible, customers are encouraged to upgrade anyway and hit the new Windows Store to seek out "alternative compatible solutions." On July 29, customers may see new device boxes on retail shelves with a Windows 8.1 installation. If the device is compatible with Windows 10, they will see a sticker slapped on the front indicating that Microsoft and the OEM have tested the device for Windows 10 compatibility. According to the post, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Professional will be made available on launch day. Then starting on August 1, Volume licensing customers will be able to download Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education on the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). "Window 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education offer a rich set of fundamentals that you would expect from Windows, and a range of security, deployment and management features. Just like for our consumer customers, we'll continue to introduce new features and updates in an ongoing manner, including Enterprise Data Protection later this year," Myerson writes. Windows 10 on the desktop caters to the keyboard and mouse customers while making the Start Screen an optional tool. The big changes to the platform include a new Start Menu, a new browser called Microsoft Edge, DirectX 12 and Cortana, Microsoft's answer to Google Now and Apple's Siri. Around 5 million customers have participated in the Windows Insiders program. |
| Cisco to Buy OpenDNS for $635 Million, No Service Changes Coming Posted: 02 Jul 2015 09:13 AM PDT An offer too good to refuse OpenDNS wasn't actively looking to be bought out, but when it was offered a whopping $635 million by Cisco, well, it's tough to turn something like that down. And so it didn't. While the deal is not yet complete, the agreement is in place for Cisco to acquire OpenDNS. What does that mean for OpenDNS and its users? "We're not going anywhere and OpenDNS as you know it will continue to work as it does today. In Cisco's words: 'This level of service for all users is a priority'," OpenDNS stated in a blog post announcing the sale. Cisco gains a company that's home to 65 million Internet users spread across more than 150 countries. That includes employees from over 10,000 organizations, both big (Fortune 500 enterprises) and small. OpenDNS holds a lot of appeal to users because it adds things to traditional domain system (DNS) like phishing protection and content filtering. It's also fast and free to use. Cisco's senior vice president David Goeckeler told The Wall Street Journal that the acquisition will provide his company "global visibility," adding that the Internet traffic OpenDNS monitors would help his firm more effectively identify and respond to security threats. "We get a lot more intelligence about what is happening in the world," Goeckeler said. Cisco has shown a willingness to spend big dollars on acquisition targets. In 2013, the company acquired cybersecurity outfit Sourcefire for $2.7 billion. It also purchased Threatgrid, a malware and threat intelligence company, in 2014, and security advisory company Neohapsis earlier this year. |
| Posted: 02 Jul 2015 12:00 AM PDT This article was published in the February 2015 issue of Maximum PC. For more trusted reviews and feature stories, subscribe here. Game Streaming and Your PCGame streaming is huge. It accounts for epic amounts of web traffic and is even an integral part of some companies' survival strategies. Look no further than Nvidia's GRID and GameStream technologies, plus the meteoric rise of Twitch.tv's traffic—it's now the fourth largest peak traffic producer on the Internet, just behind Apple and ahead of Hulu—to know that game streaming is big business. Billions of dollars are spent on games every year and being able to access them in some form from virtually anywhere, and on any device, is appealing to almost all gamers. Developers are keen on the technology, too, because they can make their game for one platform and stream it to almost any other. But streaming means different things to different people. For some it's broadcasting their game so fellow players can check out their skills. To others, it's running games on a local PC, but streaming the action to another device, like a tablet. It can also mean playing games that live in the cloud—no PC required. Each of these is completely different, but they're all "game streaming." Regardless of how you define it, there's a lot to consider. There are control mechanisms, hardware and software configurations on the client, server, and network sides to account for, and a myriad of possible bottlenecks and pitfalls in between. But fear not, we've got you covered. We'll take you through the many methods currently available and explain some of the issues you may encounter along the way. Game Streaming: An IntroductionHow does it work, what are the potential problems, and who are the major players?There's a lot of complex engineering involved in getting game streaming "right." At its core, however, the concept is fairly straightforward. When you break things down, every game is essentially a collection of frames displayed on-screen that are affected by the gamer's input. Multiple things must happen to run and interact with that game, but the on-screen imagery, audio, and interaction are what are ultimately conveyed to the gamer through the monitor, speakers, and input devices. It works by taking some of the game's frames, converting them into a video stream on the fly, and transmitting the video out to a remote device. The game's control interface and audio is also sent to the remote device, whether it be another PC, a smartphone, or a tablet. On some levels, streaming is like an interactive YouTube video. Almost every device currently available can smoothly stream a video from a site such as YouTube. But not every device can render and run a complex game. By leveraging the horsepower of a more capable machine to actually run the game, and then converting the game feed into a video stream, gamers can watch and/or play their game from a different device. Nvidia's GRID technology is the foundation of many game streaming services. Taking ControlThe challenges associated with game streaming are significant, though. Modern hardware of all types (GPUs, mobile SoCs, CPUs and APUs, etc.) typically have the ability to encode HD quality video in real time with adequate frame and bitrates, so generating a video feed and broadcasting it out to another device isn't an issue for the most part. And neither is streaming the audio, though streamed in-game audio tends to be sent as a stereo signal to save on bandwidth—not multichannel surround. GPUs, such as the one at the heart of this Nvidia GRID add-in board, are a part of what makes cloud gaming possible. The control schemes, however, can be tough to get right. Not only are there the plethora of input methods to consider, such as touchscreens, game controllers, plus keyboards and mice, but the lag associated with sending/receiving inputs can make a gamer feel disconnected from the game. If a game stream suffers from noticeable lag, or latency, the action on screen won't be affected quickly enough, and the experience is degraded. As such, making effective use of available bandwidth and minimizing lag are the keys to good user experience. Image quality is also important, of course, but that's easier to control by altering game settings or increasing compression on the video stream. Masking and minimizing lag is far more difficult. The Game-ChangersThere are a multitude of companies involved with game streaming at the moment. AMD, Nvidia, Microsoft, Valve, Sony, and many others are directly involved with, or are inventing the technologies, that make game streaming possible or will enable new use cases in the future. Nvidia in particular is aggressively pushing game streaming forward on the PC, Android, and in the cloud. In fact, Nvidia's GRID technology is arguably the de facto standard of most game streaming services. GRID is available from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and allows companies from around the world to rent capacity to build streaming services. GRID's partners currently include companies such as G-cluster, Playcast, Gloud, Ubitus, and others. Nvidia was also involved with Gaikai before it was acquired by Sony. There are also non-gaming companies (we use that term loosely) involved in game streaming. Twitch.tv, for example, doesn't necessarily provide any gaming-related services per say, but millions of people stream their games to the site nonetheless. Twitch doesn't facilitate remote game play or offer interaction with the game stream, over and above chatting with the game streamer, but gamers still flock to the site in droves. Some visit Twitch for the entertainment factor alone, while others use it to find tips and tricks for their favorite game. The State of the GameWhere the PC leads, others will followAs is usually the case with cutting edge technologies, the PC is at the forefront of game streaming. The PC can do it all—stream to services such as Twitch, stream to other PCs or devices, plus access games via the cloud, using whatever control scheme the user desires. Things aren't quite so flexible on consoles just yet. Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 both have the ability to record in-game action (for later editing or uploading), and they can stream games on-the-fl y for remote viewing, but to date they don't offer the ability to stream games to another device. This won't be the case forever, however. Sony has already announced that some upcoming Xperia-branded mobile devices will be able to stream PS4 games, while its acquisition of Gaikai and its PlayStation Now technology (which is currently in Beta) will eventually permeate a number of Sony's gaming products. You can't currently stream games from consoles to other devices, like PCs can, but that's likely to change soon. Note, however, that certain types of game streaming are better suited to specifi c types of device. At this point in time, gamers have the ability to stream from PC to PC, from a PC (and soon console) to a mobile device or streaming video service, or directly from the cloud to a device. If you've got a powerful PC, it doesn't make much sense to stream games from the cloud or another PC, since the best experience will be had by gaming locally. Gaming locally on a powerful PC ensures maximum image quality, minimal lag, and it eliminates potential bottlenecks on the network or web. With less powerful devices like a tablet, however, it may make sense to stream games from more powerful systems that can render imagery with more detail than may be possible on the device itself. What Do I Need to Stream My Games?The specs, the network requirements, and the game settings that will get you streamingThe hardware requirements aren't steep. Just like running a game, the more processing power behind the host machine, the less taxing streaming will be on the system. But assuming you've got the hardware to accelerate the video encoding process (and almost every system sold in the last few years should), an adequate amount of memory, and decent broadband, then a fairly modest system will work just fine. Both Nvidia's GameStream and Steam's In-House Streaming recommend using a quad-core Intel CPU (or six-core AMD processor). We'd also suggest having at least 8GB in the system. As always, more memory is better. The client systems have more modest requirements, however. They should have a GPU with built-in hardware accelerated H.264 decoding, but just about any modern computer or device should have that. If you can smoothly play high-quality HD video streams, you should be good. The Shield Portable and Shield Tablet can stream from a PC or the cloud. Getting WiredThe network requirements are a bit trickier and arguably more important. Not only must there be adequate bandwidth between the game streaming host and client system, but low latency is paramount as well. Ideally you'd have all systems wired to the same Should you have to use a wireless network, a fast, dual-band 802.11ac or 802.11n router/access point would be the next best setup. Nvidia has even worked with a number of partners to certify wireless network devices as GameStreamready (check out http://bit.ly/11jtnC3). Also note the clients connecting to the wireless access point should feature matching network controllers. It's best to be in close proximity to the router to ensure a strong signal, and to employ the cleanest channel to minimize interference. Our "Ultimate Router Guide" (http://bit.ly/1vs9YvW) has stacks of suggestions. Streaming outside of Image QualityGame settings matter—lower resolution will require less bandwidth, while turning off vertical sync will help minimize input lag. In-game image quality, resolution, frame rates, and bitrates can all usually be altered. And finding the right balance between image quality, bandwidth, and latency/lag is key to a good experience. We've found that game streaming locally is typically awesome if you meet the minimum system requirements and have a fast home network. Steam's In-Home Streaming and Nvidia's GameStream on the Shield Portable and Shield Tablet often seem just as good as playing on a local PC. Game streaming from the cloud isn't always perfect, but will improve as broadband speeds rise and more servers are introduced into the ecosystem. As Nvidia adds more servers, the user experience for GRID should improve since the load will be shared and gamers can access servers closer to their location. Game Streaming with Steam, Nvidia, and AMDSetting up made simpleAs a Maximum PC reader looking to experiment with game streaming, odds are you'll already have access to Steam, or Nvidia or AMD GPUs. With that in mind, we thought we'd explain how to utilize Steam's In-Home Streaming, Nvidia's GameStream, and AMD's Gaming Evolved utility to stream games between PCs, between a PC and mobile device, and from a PC to Twitch. Although they have some features in common, there are fundamental differences between Valve's, Nvidia's, and AMD's current solutions. Steam, for example, can stream games between systems on a local network that are capable of running the Steam client (currently available for Windows, Linux, and OSX). Nvidia's GameStream technology can stream games from a PC to an Nvidia Shield device on a local network or across the web, provided there's enough bandwidth available and the latency is acceptable. Nvidia also gives owners of its Shield devices access to the company's GRID service to stream PC games directly from the cloud, though the service is still in beta. AMD's Gaming Evolved utility (by Raptr) doesn't have any built-in mechanism for streaming games to other devices, but it can stream and record ingame action for remote viewing on Twitch.tv. We should note that Nvidia's GeForce Experience app with ShadowPlay support can also record and stream in-game action, but we're not going to cover that here. Steam In-Home StreamingUsing Steam's In-Home Streaming is incredibly simple. All you need to do is run the Steam client on systems connected to the same local network and log in with the same account on all of the machines. The host machine, as in the machine that actually houses and runs the games, must be a Windows-based PC at this time. When you log into the client machines, the option to stream games from the host will be available in the game library. Simply click on the streaming icon for that game and you'll be off and running. Should you need to tweak the game stream for any reason, Valve offers a number of suggestions on its support site (http://bit.ly/1cZRUdF). Steam has the ability to stream games from one PC to another on a local network, provided the systems are able to run the Steam client. Nvidia GameStreamStreaming your PC games to an Nvidia Shield device is also relatively straightforward if you meet the necessary requirements. You'll need to have an Nvidia GeForce GTXbranded graphics card installed in the host machine, powered by a Kepler or Maxwell-based GPU. GameStream (and GRID) uses Nvidia's hardware H.264 video encoder to encode and stream in real-time inside the GPU as a game is being rendered. This encoder is only available on Nvidia Kepler and Maxwell GPUs. You'll also need to have Nvidia's GeForce Experience application installed and running on the host PC. The GeForce Experience application will scan the system for compatible games and offer a list of suggested settings for the best game streaming experience. On the Shield device, all you have to do is access the Shield hub. In the menu on the left, an option labeled "My PC Games" will be listed. Select "My PC Games" and your Shield will scan the network and present the list of compatible games available in the GFE application. Also note that Nvidia gives users the ability to stream games outside of their home network as well. Nvidia recommends Internet bandwidth of 10Mb/s from your PC down to Shield and 2Mb/s from Shield up to your PC. The streaming experience will vary depending on the quality of the connection, but it is possible. A GeForce GTX-equipped PC running Nvidia's GeForce Experience application can stream supported games over a LAN or WAN. AMD Gaming EvolvedHave an AMD GPU and want to stream your in-game activities to Twitch.tv? No problem. The AMD Game Evolved utility by Raptr, which gets installed as part of AMD's Catalyst driver suite, has the ability to record and stream to Twitch built right in. First you'll need an account on Twitch. Once you've created an account, run the AMD Gaming Evolved app and click on the Broadcast button on the main interface. You'll be asked to log into Twitch—do that, then minimize the app. When you run a game, the Raptr overlay should be visible in the upper-left corner (if not, exit the game, access the Raptr preferences and enable under the "In-Game" menu). Then all you have to do is hit Page Up + B when in a game, give your stream a name, and then click the Start Streaming button. The speed/quality of your broadband connection plays a large part in determining the quality of your stream. If you need (or want) to alter the bitrate, resolution, or frame rate of the stream to improve quality or smoothness, they can be changed via the Twitch menu in the Raptr preferences menu. The AMD Gaming Evolved utility by Raptr can stream in-game action to Twitch with ease. Can I Stream My Games?Which games will work, and on which devices?There are no hard and fast rules to determine which games are best suited to streaming, but there are some guidelines to follow to minimize frustration. If you're streaming from one PC to another PC (or another device with a mouse and keyboard), the network is arguably the most important link in the chain, because the control scheme is identical. For best results, the host PC should be wired. If that's not possible, the wireless connection needs to be strong and reliable—an 802.11n or 802.11ac 5GHz router/access point should be a requirement, though a good 802.11g router will technically work as well. The game's preferred input method is also a major consideration. Nvidia has a huge list of games posted online that it's certified as compatible with its GameStream technology (http://bit.ly/1wJigAm), which also illustrates what types of controllers are supported. What you'll find is that many games support multiple controllers, but a particular type would be ideal for certain games. For example, shooters work best with a mouse and keyboard or maybe a game controller, but they're less suited to touchscreens. Conversely, racing and sports games are perfectly playable with a game controller or touchscreen, but a keyboard and mouse aren't quite as intuitive. Testing TimesThen again, preferred input methods are subjective. Less subjective is our tolerance for latency. When the latency between the game server (the system running the game) and client (the one receiving the stream) is too high, the experience won't be good. Ultimately, the games best suited to streaming are those compatible and playable with multiple controller types. GameStream and In-Home Streaming are compatible with a wide range of titles in all genres, but game streaming isn't universally possible across all games and systems/devices. "To enable a GameStream game, Nvidia has to test each game in our lab," Nvidia's Andrew Fear, product manager for GRID, told us. "We leverage all of the testing that goes into the GeForce Experience optimal playable settings to develop profiles for each game we support. "In addition, we have to test games to ensure they start up flawlessly and don't show any strange dialog boxes during gameplay. It's a big undertaking to do this for hundreds of games, but we are committed," Fear says. Some of the testing involves general compatibility, but Nvidia also ensures its Shield controllers are mapped properly, that the game's interface works and is displayed properly when streamed, and that the experience is generally good. Games not listed may still work properly, but they haven't been officially tested yet. The Future of Game StreamingCould single-platform games become a thing of the past?For game streaming to go mainstream and become one of the preferred methods for gamers to get their fix, many things need to improve. Should all of the stars align though, there could be serious implications for the PC gaming industry. By its very nature, game streaming somewhat negates the need for gamers to own their own powerful PC or game console. A system of some sort capable of actually running the game must be available at some stage of the pipeline—most likely in the cloud—but the gamer's device receiving the stream need only have the ability to connect to a network, accept user input, and playback the game video. Theoretically, streaming games from the cloud could obliterate the consumer addin GPU market. So, you'd think AMD and Nvidia would despise the technology, but they don't. GPUs are still needed to render a game, whether it be local or in the cloud. And ideally, each game being streamed would have adequate GPU resources allocated to render it in the highest quality and for each gamer connected to the service. To that end both AMD and Nvidia have developed boards strictly for use in game streaming servers that can be virtualized to support multiple game instances simultaneously. So, even though streaming could cannibalize local PC gaming, there's still huge potential for GPU makers and a need for significant GPU resources. They just may not live under your desk in the future—they'll be in the cloud. Games will be rendered by a GPU in the cloud, rather than one under your desk. The Cloud's the LimitWhen we asked Nvidia how it sees game streaming evolving in the future, it answered with, "Nvidia is committed to giving users as many choices with their games as we can. We are gamers; we enjoy games on many different platforms and usage models. We want to give Nvidia customers choices: they can enjoy local PC games on their own GeForce PC, they can stream the games they own using GameStream, or they cannot even own a PC and stream games from GRID to a Shield." And that's really the crux of the issue and why game streaming is being actively pursued by so many players. Game streaming could ultimately give gamers more choice and developers more fl exibility. Nvidia is prepping its GRID service to stream PC games from the cloud, with excellent image quality and minimal lag. As things stand, we usually have to buy games for a particular platform, be it the PC, Android, an Xbox, smartphone, or whatever. Developers also have to make the games for each platform. There are plenty of assets that can be carried over for each version, but developing and tuning a game for multiple platforms still requires a considerable amount of time and effort. If game streaming becomes the norm, developers may only have to develop and optimize a game for a single platform and gamers would play it on their preferred device. This scenario could change the way we buy games as well. Instead of buying a game for one platform, we'd simply be buying access to a particular game that can be played on any platform. We could play our games virtually anywhere and have all of our stats and save-games come with us. A number of the existing cloud gaming services already give us a glimpse of this future. Nvidia's GRID or Sony's PlayStation Now betas allow gamers to play games—in these cases PC games (GRID) or PlayStation 3 games (Now)—on portable Android devices or other Sony gaming systems. But make no mistake, there's no technical reason limiting these services (and others) from working properly on virtually any device, from a smart TV to a smartphone. In a single-platform world, developers could be more flexible and creative. Console vs PC vs StreamingConsoles could be heading for the cloudGame streaming has the potential to seriously disrupt the game console and PC businesses. The SoCs in many of today's smart TVs are already powerful enough to run the client software necessary to stream games from the cloud, and they've got capable video engines and network connectivity already built in, too. There could come a time when a powerful PC or a dedicated game console is no longer necessary to enjoy the latest games. A lot still has to happen before that becomes a reality, however. The state of broadband in the U.S. (and many other countries) leaves a lot to be desired, and a fast, reliable broadband connection is paramount. Game streaming services must also evolve to the point where they can offer reliable, low-latency connections to all of their potential customers. And then there's the business model to consider—game developers and streaming service providers need to offer a product to gamers that's both affordable and enjoyable, that can also sustain the business. These aren't insurmountable hurdles by any means, but they aren't going to be resolved overnight. We think gaming PCs will remain popular for years, however, and so does Nvidia. "We believe there will always be a place for local PC experiences with GeForce and remote game experiences with GameStream or GRID," said Andrew Fear. "But the power of our streaming technology does allow us to bring our entire library of GeForce-optimized PC games to a brand new platform," he added. Panic OverBottom line: A powerful gaming PC is and will remain the premiere gaming platform—bar none—and hardcore gamers aren't likely to give up all of the benefits of local gaming anytime soon. Consoles will probably be around for another cycle or two as well, but Sony and Microsoft are already developing cloud-based services, so it's possible next-gen consoles may be much smaller, thinner, and potentially less-powerful devices that rely on the cloud for everything from content delivery to rendering. We wouldn't be surprised if the next wave of "consoles" are actually licensed to television manufacturers that would integrate the necessary processors and input mechanisms directly into the televisions themselves. Time will tell. As network speeds and capacities increase, and hardware becomes more powerful, game streaming services will continue to improve. There will probably come a time when game streaming offers an almost indistinguishable experience from gaming locally, but even if it doesn't, the allure of accessing games from virtually anywhere, on any device, will be compelling and we suspect gamers will flock to the services in droves. If (or when) that happens, the demand for high-performance gaming systems, packed with cutting-edge hardware, will be diminished greatly. |
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