Google finally dropped the ball and announced that its cloud game streaming service, Stadia, will be shutting down in January 2023. While for many, this may not come as a shock given Google’s penchant for killing promising products in the past, it did move the needle for Stadia fans. And rightly so, since the service was excellent at what it did. The responsiveness, low-latency gaming performance, and greater clarity were something that no other cloud streaming service could offer. But now that Stadia has met its ill-fated demise, here’s a list of the 8 best Google Stadia alternatives that offer cloud gaming on the go. On that note, let’s find a suitable platform like Google Stadia that offers good performance and a massive library of games.
Best Google Stadia Alternatives (2022)
In this article, we have included the top 8 Google Stadia alternatives, keeping latency, resolution, gaming library, and community in mind. You can expand the table below and move to any Stadia replacement in the list.
1. Nvidia GeForce Now
If you are looking for the best Google Stadia alternative, I highly recommend Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service. Just like Stadia, you can play your favorite games on any device, be it your Android phone, Android TV, PC, or macOS device. Its latency and quality might not be as good as Google Stadia, but you get access to a lot of games from different studios. You can connect your Epic Games account, Steam account, and games from other studios and access all the games on GeForce Now.
To name a few, popular games like Cyberpunk 2077, Genshin Impact, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and more are available on GeForce Now. Not to mention, you get ray tracing support for many games on Nvidia GeForce Now, which is something Stadia did not have.
As for the requirements, you must have at least 15Mbps internet speed for 720p cloud gaming at 60FPS. And for 1080p gaming at 60FPS, you need at least 25Mbps speeds. Finally, iPhone and iPad users who want to play Fortnite can enjoy the game with GeForce Now on the Safari browser.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent library of popular games | Latency and resolution are second to Stadia |
| Connect accounts from other gaming stores | |
| Compatible with multiple devices | |
| Can play Fortnite on iPhone and iPad |
Platforms: macOS, Windows PC, Chrome OS, SHIELD TV, Chromium browser, Android, Android TV, iOS (Safari)
Availability: Find all the regions here
Pricing: Free for one hour; Priority membership starts at $8.99 per month and RTX 3080 membership starts at $19.99 per month
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2. Xbox Cloud Gaming
Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming is another Google Stadia alternative you should consider instead of buying a console or gaming PC. It has one of the largest libraries of games, and you can play high-quality games, including Fortnite on iOS devices. If you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Cloud Gaming comes bundled and is one heck of a deal for gamers. The best part is that Xbox Cloud Gaming is compatible with any Xbox controller and Sony DualShock 4 wireless controller, just like Stadia.
You can stream games like Fortnite, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Far Cry 5, Hitman Trilogy, Astroneer, and more. In terms of diverse gaming content, Xbox Cloud Gaming is much better than Google Stadia. The only con, I would say, is that responsiveness on Xbox Cloud Gaming is slightly worse than on Stadia.
Finally, the minimum speed requirement is 10Mbps for Xbox Cloud Gaming. To sum up, Minecraft’s cloud gaming platform is one of the best Google Stadia alternatives, particularly for the massive library of games.
Pros Cons Massive library of games A bit high latency Quite affordable, bundled offers are great Need to add more servers Supports different controllers
Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS, Windows PCs, Xbox Console, Samsung Smart TV
Availability: Find all the regions here
Pricing: Available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers; costs $15 per month.
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3. PlayStation Now (PS Now)
PlayStation Now is Sony’s answer to Google Stadia. It is a cloud gaming service by Sony, where you can access a huge library of PS4, PS3, and PS2 games anywhere you want. Recently, Sony merged PS Now with PlayStation Plus, so you will need to subscribe to the PS Plus membership to enjoy Sony’s cloud gaming service. Besides that, PS Now is currently available only on Windows PCs along with some PlayStation devices.
That said, you have widely popular games like GTA 5, Uncharted 4, God of War, Deathloop, Ghost Of Tsushima, and more available to play. The internet speed requirement is just 5Mbps to get started with Sony’s PlayStation Now service. All in all, PS Now is an excellent cloud gaming service with a vast catalog of popular games but loses out in terms of minimal latency and lag-free gameplay.
Pros Cons Play popular PS games Only available on Windows PCs Internet speed requirement is low Get PS Plus benefits
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PS4 Pro, and Windows PCs
Availability: UK, US, Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and The Netherlands
Pricing: Only available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers; starts at $17.99 per month
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4. Amazon Luna
Stadia users mostly used Amazon’s Luna service to play Ubisoft games until they arrived on Google’s platform. However, now that Stadia is going away, Luna might become the new home for many gamers. Sure, its latency and gaming library is not as good as that of Google Stadia or GeForce Now, for that matter, but the service is cheap.
Moreover, you have access to games like Resident Evil 3, Trails from Zero, Samurai Warriors, Aragami, etc. Also, you get to play popular Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which are not available on other cloud gaming platforms. I also like the fact that Luna hosts several gaming genres such as action, adventure, platformer, indie, shooter, RPG, and more.
On top of that, the service is compatible with PCs, Macs, web browsers, Android devices, Fire TV devices, Fire tablets, and more. To sum up, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Google Stadia, Amazon Luna is a good choice.
Pros Cons Pretty affordable Mainstream games are missing Ubisoft’s library is available Hosts many gaming genres
Platforms: Windows PC, Chromebook, Mac devices, iPhone, iPad, Android devices, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and select Samsung Smart TVs
Availability: Supported across mainland US. Currently, the service is not supported in Hawaii, Alaska, and US territories.
Pricing: Select games available for free to Prime subscribers. Luna Plus starts at $5.99 per month.
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5. Steam Link
Unlike Google Stadia, which is a cloud gaming platform, Steam Link is a game casting utility that works locally. You will need a powerful PC with good CPU and GPU performance and preferably an ethernet connection for a fast wired connection and low latency gaming. Now that you have a gaming machine, you can locally cast the game from the host machine to your smartphone, TV, tablet, or laptop and enjoy the game with low latency. And now, with Steam’s Remote Play feature, you can stream games anywhere you want.
Yes, the performance is largely dependent on your host machine’s hardware, but Steam has also optimized the games for different screen sizes. Not to mention, the service also supports many different controllers and user interfaces. To conclude, Steam Link is a viable alternative to Stadia, and it’s a great way to enjoy games on the go if you have a powerful PC.
Pros Cons Locally cast gameplay on another device Needs powerful hardware for the host machine Supports different controller Play anywhere with Remote Play
Platforms: Windows, macOS, SteamOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Android TV
Availability: All regions where Steam Store is available
Pricing: Free (need to buy games individually)
Download Steam Link
6. The Gaming Project
If you are from India and looking for a solid alternative to Stadia for cloud gaming, I think you should definitely try The Gaming Project. The service has servers in three prime locations in India: Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. And you need a broadband connection of 10Mbps or more to access it. There is a free tier to let you test the service, but the library of games is limited, so you are better off getting the paid plan that starts at Rs 199 per month.
You can play games in Full HD resolution with a total of 20 hours of gaming sessions in a month. In addition, you can connect your account from different game marketplaces and access your favorite games right away. Overall, it is a decent cloud gaming service in India right now, and you can surely give it a try in place of Google Stadia.
Pros Cons Decent Stadia alternative in India Ping is high in non-metro cities Offers a free tier Measly game library Add your store accounts and access games
Platforms: Windows, Android, Chromium browser
Availability: India
Pricing: Free session of 6 hours per month; Pro plan starts at Rs 199 per month with 20 hours of gaming session per month.
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7. Parsec
Parsec is a remote desktop application that excels at real-time screen capturing, all the while offering low latency and high FPS. Its remote access technology is one of the best in the industry, and you can connect to your computer over the internet and hop into a game seamlessly. Similar to Google Stadia, you can have a lag-free gaming session with Parsec and can get around 60 FPS even while playing intense FPS or action games.
The best part about Parsec is that it brings the fun element of playing together with your friends. You can easily share your screen with friends by sharing a link, connecting a controller of your choice, and playing together online. It also offers some arcade games, so you can have fun playing multiplayer games with friends. All in all, if you have got a PC at home, go ahead and install Parsec and enjoy games on a Windows PC in the cloud. For most games, it works better than Steam Link.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Remote desktop application with low latency and high FPS | Requires a decently powerful PC |
| Play with friends | |
| Arcade games are available |
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, Chromium browser, Raspberry Pi 3, Linux
Availability: Almost everywhere
Pricing: Free, Paid plan starts at $9.99 per month
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8. Shadow
Shadow is not a direct rival to Google Stadia, but its cloud computing prowess makes it the perfect pick for gaming on the cloud. After the acquisition of OVHcloud, Shadow now also offers a high-end cloud gaming setup, so you can install your favorite game and get on with it from anywhere. Basically, you have a powerful Windows instance from one of Shadow’s data centers near you. You can install games, run professional software, work with photo editing tools, and do much more.
On top of that, the instance has been optimized for video games, offering lower latency, gamepad support, color enhancement, and more. If you are wondering what kind of hardware you get with a paid plan, well, you can pick from GPUs like Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 to RTX 3070, AMD EPYC 7543P CPU to Radeon Pro V620 GPU. Yeah, you get all the high-end components depending on the plan. So if you want a powerful cloud computer to play games on the go, just like Google Stadia, then Shadow is a good choice.
Pros Cons Cloud computer where you can install games Quite expensive Optimized for gaming Offers powerful hardware
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chromium browser
Availability: UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and the US
Pricing: Paid plan starts at $29.99 per month
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Pick the Top Cloud Gaming Platform Like Google Stadia
So these are the eight best alternatives to Google Stadia. Among all the cloud gaming solutions, none of them come close to Stadia in terms of low latency and superior gameplay experience. However, GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming offer you a better library of games, and these services are being improved significantly. So in the near future, these services will surely get better. Anyway, that is all from us. If you want to use Nvidia GeForce Now in India right now, we have an in-depth guide on how to make it work here. And now that Stadia will also be gone from Chrome OS, you can run GeForce Now on Chromebooks for your cloud gaming needs. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.
