The Best Game Streaming Service According to Gamers

On March 19, 2019, Google shocked the world by announcing that it was entering the gaming world with their very own game streaming service, Google Stadia. On September 24, 2020, Amazon followed suit with their own unveiling of Amazon Luna. In addition to industry giants in Sony and Microsoft, there are many game streaming services to choose from, which can be alienating for those new to the gaming sphere. With many factors to consider, including price and volume of games, what do experienced gamers consider the best game streaming service out there? We collected the data to provide the answer.

The following is comprised of data collected through optional polls and viewer responses. What all was collected includes:

• 899 respondents through eight questions.
• Polls running between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021.

Details on the best game streaming platform in infographic form.

The following is information collected in more detailed form, going over every aspect of the graph listed above. Summarized information and some occasional discussion will also be present. Most of the following data comprised of six different options for game streaming services:

• Xbox Game Pass
• PlayStation Now
• GeForce Now
• Google Stadia
• Amazon Luna
• “Other”

Has Google Stadia Recovered?

Whether gamers believe Google Stadia recovered from their bad launch.

Upon the launch of Google Stadia, the innovative service was met with harsh slowdowns and connectivity issues. The pressure of being the first of its kind may have been too much for them, releasing prior to when it was truly ready. It has been over a year since release, however, and things may have improved in that time. So have they?

According to the gaming populace, overwhelmingly not. Hard to take exactly what or why this may be the case just from poll answers, but one can assume that Stadia still suffers from the issues dealt with at launch. Given the nature of game streaming services, this may be a recurring problem with any platform. However, given Google’s size and influence on the world, as well as it being so publicly supportive of the service, it may just have a larger target on its back.

Value Deal: Best Price for Games?

What people consider the best price for streaming service.

If $14 per month is enough for millions around the world to watch Netflix, what is the best price for the gaming alternative? Gaming giants have tried to formulate this specifically for a number of years, finally settling on prices they feel appropriate for the services they provide. As such, the players have spoken, and Xbox Game Pass is the service to beat.

With options ranging from $10-15 a month, players get access to a large selection of games available to the Microsoft brand, including new releases on the same day. With thousands of games to choose from (and growing), there’s bound to be a game or twelve that will make the service enticing to gamingkind. It’s no wonder the service has over 18 million subscribers to date with all these factors to consider.

Value Deal: Best Selection of Games?

What game streaming service has the best selection of games?

While not quite as one-sided this time around, Xbox Game Pass has still managed to establish itself as the streaming service to beat amongst competitors. Despite the general belief that Sony has Microsoft beat when it comes to exclusives, the amount of content available from Microsoft’s service is just too much to pass up. That, and as evidenced above, the price helps, too.

Some of this may be due to PS Now valuing its own exclusives over anything, while Xbox Game Pass has a large collection of all sorts of titles, whether exclusive to Microsoft or not. Indie games or AA games included, it’s thousands against “700+,” which may be the deciding factor for those willing to speak with their wallet.

Value Deal: More Games = More Time Playing?

Detailing if these game streaming services increase game time played.

The issue of the backlog is one that has plagued the gaming community for years eternal. With so many great games and so little time, some titles will inevitably slip through the cracks. The nice thing about these streaming services is that it incentivizes one to do more of what they love by providing them the opportunity to have all in one place, as well as costing them for it. But does this actually work?

According to these results, they do! It seems that having a large selection of games available tends to increase one’s output of playing time. That, and perhaps the thought of paying a monthly fee motivates them to put their money where their mouth is… or hands are? Whatever the case, if you’re hankering to play more games, these streaming services will do the trick.

Is the Constant Internet Connection an Issue?

How much people care about constantly being online.

One of the more controversial things about Google Stadia’s inception was the requirement of strong bandwidths to play their games. With the ever-growing accessibility of internet in the average household, companies are taking advantage of the wireless potential to connect the world. Or in this case, to stream games digitally. To some, this sounds great; others, however, find this to be a fault.

While internet is more widely available, this does not immediately equate to internet being widely reliable. Many may have issues being able to properly play games to their fullest potential due to the strength of their connection, and random outages will prevent them from playing games altogether. It’s easy to assume that more would prefer the safety precautions involved with being physical over digital.

Does the Streaming Potential Help?

The amount of people who consider streaming a benefit.

Streaming has become one of the more commonplace activities of internet culture in the last few years. Twitch has become the go-to place for many while on the internet to have fun, play games, or just hang out with people around the world, especially now given the state of the COVID pandemic. These game streaming services make it easier than ever to stream games for an audience, so is that a factor to consider when purchasing?

It’s a close call, but a few more consider it a plus than a minus. Streaming certainly isn’t for everyone, though the option being available is good enough to give it a boost in appeal. On the other hand, streaming also commands even more internet strength to have it go smoothly, so it may not be a factor for many. Whatever one’s preferences, the option is viable to more than half of gamers.

Quantity of Great Games Before Buying?

How many games it would take for players to buy in.

The results of this question were quite surprising to me. What ended up getting the most votes isn’t surprising, but the sheer volatility of the results are eye-opening. It seems no one can truly, definitively decide what the proper amount of games a streaming service should have before it’s worth it. All that’s apparent is that it’s not between 50-100.

Some only need upwards of 20, some up to 50, and others demand over 100 great games before game streaming services become worth it. Just because Xbox Game Pass has several-thousand games doesn’t mean all of those games are of equal worth to everyone. For every Yakuza, there’s bound to be some games that some find to be underwhelming. However many games you prefer, make sure to browse the options before considering.

What Is the Best Game Streaming Service?

The best game streaming service decided by viewers.

If you’ve been paying attention, the results for best game streaming service are not surprising.

Xbox Game Pass has the biggest selection of games and the best price point, according to this article’s results. Those two factors alone make it the overwhelming favorite for best game streaming service, and those are the results here.

What I find interesting is the amount of “Other” votes, overtaking even PS Now. Whatever those options may be, it seems wise to research what exactly is available out there before you hop onto one based solely on popularity. But if you’re willing to take these results to heart, Xbox Game Pass is the way to go.

[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”ee1mkn76o9″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″]Are you subscribed to a game streaming service? What do you think of it? Were the results provided by our study surprising to you? Let us know in the comments below![/wpdiscuz-feedback]