We tested GeForce NOW on a Smart TV with Android TV, the simplest and most comfortable way to play some titles without a console.
Cloud services are providing more and more possibilities to video game fans. Not only is it possible to convert a mobile phone into a portable console for use, but it also allows you to play on the television without having a console or computer connected.
GeForce NOW is one of the most used services in the world when playing cloud games, and it has its own application for Android TV, which allows you to get the most out of it from a television. At Voonze we have tested their service to see if it is possible to play using only a Smart TV.
One thing to keep in mind is that performance will depend, among other things, on the quality of the connection, so it is essential, depending on the requirements of the app itself, to have a connection speed of at least 15 Mb/s.
Command is essential
On mobile, they can help us not need a controller to play, but on TV it is absolutely essential to connect it. Android TV is compatible with Xbox and PlayStation controllers, and also with controllers created for Android, so they can connect via Bluetooth.
Simply access the general settings for Android and once there click on the Connected Devices button, where you will have to click on Add a new device while the controller is set to synchronization mode. When you have connected it will be time to start playing.
To do this, you need to download the GeForce NOW application and log in. This specific platform allows you to play games for free or in paid modalities that each user has already purchased for a computerso you can only access the games you own or free games.
The good thing about this is that, if you usually play on a computer, it will allow you to continue with the saved games of each game on your own. Laying down the last time and progressing, you can then continue on your computer or using this app on your mobile.
Experience and problems
Among the games available there are titles such as Assassin’s Creed, Rocket League, Death Stranding, Doom, Fortnite or The Witcher III. Using WiFi connectivity, the experience when loading the game has been quite fast, but it is true that, while we were playing, the resolution has suffered practically the entire time.
This is because these services sometimes reduce the image resolution to make the movement stable and fluid throughout the entire time, something that is appreciated to avoid experiencing stoppages. By connecting the television via cable, the experience has improved considerably in terms of resolution.
In some specific moments we have experienced a longer than usual delay between pressing a button and its result in the game, although it has not been common. It must be taken into account that, due to the way in which cloud services work, it is always possible that there will be certain specific delays that, in the best of cases, will not affect the outcome of the game.
However, it is true that this is something that is not important in story video games that are not excessively frenetic. For titles like Doom, or some online multiplayer games like Fortnite or Rocket League, however, These specific delays can be decisive.
Does it replace a console?
The answer, first of all, is no. Cloud gaming services have the potential to do this, but the experience they offer is still far from that provided by a console. Although it is possible to try many games on TV using this method, it is true that it has disadvantages compared to a console, and it is totally normal.
On the one hand, due to the delay that can occur at some moments and which means that many movements do not feel instantaneous. On the other hand, the fact that this service works through sessions makes that you cannot leave the control on the tablethe fact that this service works through sessions means that you have to be careful if you are going to spend a while without playing, since the session could be closed, losing game progress.
Although it is not a substitute, it can be a great complement, especially for those people who usually play on the computer and from time to time want to take the opportunity to play a game on the television. The movement will not be equally fluid, but in most cases, as long as the device is connected by cable or you enjoy very good WiFi connectivity, Most likely it won’t even be noticed. Obviously, the more powerful the television is, the better it will process the images that come to it, so although the important thing is the connection, we must also take into account a low-end television could offer a bad experience
It is especially advantageous for the pocketbook of this type of user, a pleasure that makes a console no longer strictly necessary to be able to play on the television, although if you want to enjoy the best possible resolution and experience, these devices are, along with the PC, the best alternative.
