Skip to main content

OnLive brings streaming console games to tablets and smartphones – our hands-on impressions

OnLive running on an HTC Rezound
Image used with permission by copyright holder

OnLive has revealed its plans to bring its streaming video game service to tablets and smartphones. “500 million” iOS and Android devices will now have access to the roughly 200 console games that OnLive console players have had for a year and a half now. In addition, 25 games (including L.A. Noire) have been adapted to fully utilize touch controls. Games can be played over 3G, 4G LTE, or Wi-Fi. 

Last week, we had a chance to check out the new OnLive streaming apps running on a myriad of devices including the HTC Rezound, Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple iPad 2, HTC Flyer, Motorola Xoom, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Though the latency was somewhat inconsistent in the office we were in, most of the games worked surprisingly well.

OnLive system and controller running on a Motorola Xoom
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are a few ways to play:

  • Five or so games, including L.A. Noire and Defense Grid Gold, will be launching with completely revamped, touch-based controls. These games won’t require a controller or anything extra, and you can just start playing them on your phone or tablet. OnLive CEO Steve Perlman showed off Defense Grid Gold running touch-based controls, which are quite natural for a top-down strategy game of its type. When you play these games, you’re facing OnLive players that could be on consoles, smartphones, or maybe a PC. World of Goo is another completely touch-based game. 
  • OnLive has worked with publishers to add a touch option to 20 or so more console-level games, including Assassin’s Creed Revelations. These games can be played via touch with on-screen button controls, mimicking a controller. 
  • Finally, if you want to play Batman: Arkham City or other more complicated games, you can use the new OnLive Universal Wireless Controller, which has all the buttons you’d see on an Xbox 360 or PS3 controller. We played Unreal Tournament on an iPad using a controller and it was pretty good, save for a bit of lag. It was shocking to see it running at all, honestly. 
  • Up to four controllers can hook up, providing the game or tablet allows it. The controllers have an adaptive wireless technology that lets them automatically find an optimal wireless connection for a given tablet, smartphone, PC, Mac, TV, or Blu-ray player we’re told.
onlive-for-tablets-and-phones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like Netflix, any progress you make on your smartphone will be instantly saved to the cloud, allowing you to resume from any device exactly where you left off. And because everything is streamed, the graphics you see on OnLive are often better than other consoles, though a slow connection will downgrade the quality, much like Netflix gets choppy around 8pm each night when everyone is watching.

We weren’t able to play L.A. Noire, but the game seems perfect for touch-based controls. It would make sense for it to work similarly to an old point-and-click PC adventure games, like Sam & Max

“The thing about L.A. Noire is that it’s a very very high performance game,” said Perlman while explaining how the system works. “It’s got incredibly realistic faces. It works well on consoles and if you have a PC, you pretty much want a brand new one if you want to run it at 60 frames per second–anything less than a state of the art one is going to be less than ideal. But the thing about the kind of game it is. it’s actually one that appeals to a broad, casual audience….My parents would be into it, but they’d never pick up a controller with ABXY buttons and joysticks, and they’re certainly not going to buy a high-end PC, so this bridges into that audience with a game that is terrific for casual gamers.”

OnLive controller and console
Image used with permission by copyright holder

OnLive wants to be the Netflix of video games. With today’s announcement, it comes pretty close. No release date has been given, but the OnLive apps should start appearing on the Android Market, Kindle Fire Appstore, and Apple App Store soon. No Windows Phone support was announced, but Perlman said that if users demand a platform, they’ll build for it. 

As for pricing, the OnLive home console and controller bundle is $100 and extra controllers are $50 a piece. You can fully purchase games at $20-$50 or rent many titles for much less. The company also has an all-you-can-eat, Netflix-style “PlayPack” plan for $10 a month, which includes access to more than 100 games including Batman: Arkham City. Presumably, you could simply download the app on a tablet and play touch-based OnLive games without purchasing a console or controller at all now. We’ll be testing out the entire OnLive service in the weeks ahead. 

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Don’t buy this new Motorola phone — get this other one instead
Renders of the Moto G 5G (2024) and Moto G Power 5G (2024).

the Moto G 5G (left) and Moto G Power 5G Digital Trends

Budget phones can slip under the radar when shiny, powerful flagships launch. But if you're in the market for a smartphone that gets the job done and won't blow a four-figure hole in your bank balance, then a great budget smartphone is the way to go.

Read more
Get 32% off the cellular model of the iPad Pro 12.9 this weekend
The iPad Pro on a desk next to a stylus and AirPods.

If you've been thinking about getting the iPad Pro with cellular connectivity but you've been hoping to buy the tablet from iPad deals for a discount, this may be what you've been waiting for -- a 32% discount from Amazon's Woot on the 12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular model of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with 128GB of storage. From $1,199, it's down to just $810, which is a steal price for this device with savings of $389. However, while there are still several days left on this offer, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase immediately because there's a chance that stocks don't last that long.

Why you should buy the 2021 Apple iPad Pro 12.9
It's not the latest version of Apple's top-of-the-line tablet -- the honor goes to the 2022 Apple iPad Pro -- but the 2021 Apple iPad Pro is still a pretty powerful device by today's standards. That's because it's equipped with Apple's M1 chip, which promises fantastic speed and excellent graphics when you're working on your multimedia projects, multitasking between several apps, or playing console-level games. With its 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR touchscreen, you'll enjoy high-brightness and high-contrast content, and its mini-LED display provides deeper black levels and more vibrant colors.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: all the big changes, explained
Renders of the Samsung Galaxy A55 next to the Galaxy A54.

Galaxy A55 (left) and Galaxy A54 Digital Trends

Samsung has been on a roll with new phone releases in 2024. At the end of January, Samsung released the flagship Galaxy S24 lineup. It's fantastic, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest flagship. Thankfully, Samsung also makes budget-friendly alternatives, and that’s the appeal of the new Galaxy A55.

Read more