Skip to main content

Another one! Amazon could announce game-streaming service in 2020

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google Stadia just launched this week, and the game-streaming service has already been criticized for a poor game selection, sub-par performance, questionable pricing and business practices, and even for killing Chromecast Ultra units. These issues appear to be no worry to Amazon, however, as it appears the retail and tech behemoth is preparing to announce its own competing service in 2020.

CNET reported this week that Amazon will announce a game-streaming service next year, and that it has already begun recruiting staff from other major technology companies as it moves toward launch. Unsurprisingly, the plan is for the unnamed service to integrate with Twitch streaming and other Amazon services. Google heavily implemented YouTube into Stadia, with options to start a game from a streamer’s save state or jump into their multiplayer session right from a stream. Neither of these features is available at launch, however.

Thus far, Amazon has had an extremely difficult time breaking into the video game industry. It canceled several high-profile games prior to their launch, including Breakaway, and reportedly laid off dozens of developers during this year’s E3, along with more canceled projects.

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Some of Amazon’s creative leads have also left the company for other studios. This includes Clint Hocking, who returned to Ubisoft to direct Watch Dogs Legion, and Portal designer Kim Swift, who now works at Electronic Arts. If we are learning anything from the Stadia launch, it’s that Amazon will need to have several high-profile and exclusive games ready in order to get players to subscribe, and the service can’t destroy data caps.

Amazon and Google won’t be the only companies vying for your game-streaming dollar. Microsoft is also currently in the preview phase of its Project xCloud service, which already boasts more games than Stadia and will feature special control schemes when played via mobile devices. Unlike its competitors, Microsoft is also not marketing xCloud as a replacement for home consoles, but instead as a service to complement them. You will also be able to stream games you own on your Xbox One console to your phone for free, using the Xbox as a private server.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Binge, a new gaming content service, to be revealed at E3
Binge's homepage.

More details about Binge, a new streaming service aimed at gamers, will be revealed at E3, according to Forbes. The platform, which calls itself "the future of gaming entertainment," will reportedly contain original content featuring popular gaming franchises and characters.

Rather than trying to compete with Twitch and other livestreaming platforms, Binge aims to attract viewers who want "premium-level" series and shorts based on their favorite games. The platform will be free and available to watch on smartphones, gaming consoles, desktop computers, and TVs.

Read more
Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service enters iOS and PC beta this week
Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming Service Enters Beta This Week

Microsoft is rolling out Xbox Cloud Gaming (previously known as Project xCloud) on iOS and Windows 10 this week. Select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can participate in an open beta starting tomorrow, April 20, 2021.

Microsoft previously announced that its cloud gaming service would hit iOS and PC sometime this spring. Invitees will be able to play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles through browsers such as Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari via Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets.

Read more
Microsoft xCloud: Everything we know about the streaming service

Microsoft remains committed to offering Xbox One and PC fans a variety of ways to play their favorite games, whether that be through physical discs, paid digital downloads, free Xbox Games with Gold titles, or the vault from Xbox Game Pass. One upcoming service, Project xCloud, will allow players to enjoy their favorite games instantly, whether they are playing on a console, PC, or even a mobile phone. The service has the potential to completely change how we experience games -- and you’ll be able to try it out very soon. Here's everything we know about Microsoft xCloud.
What is Project xCloud?

Project xCloud is Microsoft’s video game streaming service, allowing players to instantly stream console and PC games to their device of choice using an internet connection (like an Android smartphone, for example). Similar to the system used by Google Stadia, you won’t download the games you play in Project xCloud. Instead, they’ll be streamed from Microsoft’s own servers, which make use of the Azure Cloud architecture that has been implemented in games like Crackdown 3 and Titanfall. There are 54 different Azure regions around the globe, which should provide stable service to users regardless of their location.

Read more