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HP's Omen PCs will let you stream games to slower computers
HP is getting into the game streaming arena -- though probably not in the way you'd expect. With the aptly titled "Omen Game Stream" app, it'll integrate the feature in all of its gaming PCs later this spring. Basically, you'll be able to take advantage of the powerful hardware from an Omen machine to play games on just about any PC over the internet. It's the sort of thing we've seen from NVIDIA and Valve, both of which offer in-home streaming solutions. With this app, HP could make life a lot easier for gamers who need their Overwatch fix when they're away from their rigs.
'Until Dawn' headlines this month's horrific PS Now additions
Two years later and Sony finally got the timing right for PlayStation 4's choose-your-own-horror adventure Until Dawn. The Hayden-Panettiere-starring interactive movie is perfect for Halloween frights, and if you're a PlayStation Now subscriber, you can play it, well, now. It isn't the only fright fest being added to the service, either. Frictional Games' sub-aquatic tale of terror, SOMA, is on offer as well as the macabre mystery The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Don't feel like getting scared? There's always David Cage's Beyond: Two Souls and, umm, Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders.
Xbox One gets third-party camera support for game streaming
If you're serious about video game streaming, you most likely have a PC with a decent capture card, microphone, camera and software like XSplit or OBS. It can be expensive and a little convoluted, which is why Sony and Microsoft are making their respective consoles better all-in-one streamers. On the Xbox side, Microsoft has added third-party USB camera support for "Insiders," or beta testers, on its "Preview Alpha Ring." It only works with Mixer, the company's Twitch rival, and strictly for broadcasting video — so you'll still need a headset or microphone to handle your vocal chords.
Amazon's latest Twitch Prime giveaway eyes 'Madden 18' fans
Amazon's well and truly got football fever. It seems securing the rights to select NFL games for Prime Video wasn't enough, it's now also got the hook-up for Madden 18. The latest instalment in the long-running sports franchise just dropped. And, Twitch Prime members who own a copy will receive in-game goodies that could prove handy to their Ultimate Team. As part of the latest offer, you'll get an 83-rated Madden Legend and a Collectible per week throughout the season (25 in total). To kick things off, your first freebie will be an 85-rated Reggie White and five Collectibles -- combine the two and you've got a 90-rated Legend straight off the bat. Just link your Twitch account with Amazon Prime to reap the benefits.
Samsung's latest app livestreams your mobile gameplay
Even with the advent of Twitch, broadcasting mobile gameplay footage has been finicky for awhile. Samsung wants to make it easier with its new Game Live app for recent Samsung Galaxy handsets, as spotted by SamMobile. So long as your device is running Android 6.0 or newer, pushing your gameplay to Facebook, Twitch and YouTube shouldn't be too much leg work. You can even use your mic to chat with friends if you want, and save up to 4GB or 200 minutes of gameplay -- whichever comes first -- in a throwback to Game Recorder+. Compared to its music app and email attempt, on the surface at least, this seems like a piece of Samsung software you'd actually want to use.
Sony plans to make PlayStation Now exclusive to PC and PS4
If you're a PlayStation Now user that doesn't actually own a PS4, get ready to cancel your subscription -- Sony just announced that its cloud gaming service is going to drop support for everything but its flagship console and Windows PC users later this year. On August 15th 2017, PlayStation Now will stop functioning on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV as well as all Sony Bravia TVs, every Sony Blu-ray player and all Samsung smart TVs with access to the service. That's a lot of devices to drop, but Sony is optimistic about the choice, explaining in a blog post that it will help it build a better user experience on the remaining two platforms.
Twitch 'Communities' help you find specific streams
Despite YouTube and Facebook's best efforts, Twitch is still the king of video game live streaming. The platform's popularity has given rise to a new problem though: discoverability. When so many different people are streaming, how do you find the channels that suit your particular interests? Enter "Communities," a new type of hub page that users can build around specific games or topics. They can be about almost anything -- speedrunning, comedy, or the joys of Jet Grind Radio. Each community is public and listed in a new Community directory. Streamers can then "target" them so their broadcast appears on the page's "stream wall."
Should we get our hopes up again for cloud gaming?
"We, in no way, take credit for the idea." LiquidSky CEO Ian McLoughlin knows video game streaming isn't a new concept. For years, various companies have promised players they'd be able to load up any game on any device via cloud streaming. Play the latest Fallout on an Android tablet or boot up the new Witcher at max settings on a four-year-old MacBook Air. It sounds too good to be true, and since the early 2010s, it has been.
Twitch starts rolling out access to its 'Friends' feature
Last month, Twitch continued its transformation into a fully fledged social network with a feature called "Friends." And now the streaming service is opening it up to users, albeit in limited beta form. The list, which can have up to 500 people per account, will let you see who's online and, if need be, send private messages (aka Whispers) with a single click. Right now, Twitch says it has activated accounts for anyone who signed up at PAX East in April, as well as a few other members of the community.
Stream Android games to Twitch without a smartphone
Twitch committed to mobile gaming by sponsoring a Vainglory tournament and now it'll be easier to stream Android games thanks to Bluestacks. As a reminder, Bluestacks makes an Android emulator for PC (or Mac) that lets you run most any mobile app or game on the desktop. The new app, called Bluestacks TV, works in two ways. First off, you'll be able to watch selected Twitch streams on Bluestacks, as if you were watching a Twitch Stream on mobile. At the same time, mobile game broadcasters will be able to stream directly to Twitch via the Bluestacks emulator without using a smartphone.
PlayStation Now offers 12 months of game streaming for $100
For a game streaming service to succeed, it needs three crucial components: a decent library, competitive pricing and reliable, silky-smooth performance. PlayStation Now struggles on all three fronts, but slowly those shortcomings are being rectified. For instance, Sony is offering a better value subscription plan -- now, you can pay $99.99 for 12 months of access, which works out at just over $8 per month. Compared with the company's existing one-month ($19.99, or $240 per year) and three-month ($44.99, or $180 per year) plans, it's a steal.
Valve Steam Link review: Better than a 50-foot HDMI cable
Steam Machines are finally here -- real gaming PCs designed to live in your entertainment center and play the role of hardcore gaming console. There's just one problem: I've never wanted one. Don't get me wrong: Valve's quest to drag PC gaming into the living room is awesome, but I already have an incredibly powerful gaming rig in my office. I don't need a second, redundant machine in front of my couch. On the other hand, I'm an insane person who drilled holes in his wall to run 50 feet of cabling from his gaming PC to the back of his television set. There's an easier way, according to Valve, and it's called the Steam Link. This $50 micro PC was announced at GDC earlier this year with one express purpose in mind -- piping high-end PC gaming over a home network on the cheap. That sounds pretty good, but can it outperform my power drill and various lengths of cable?
PlayStation Now's subscription option hits the UK for £13 per month
PlayStation Now still hasn't managed to shake its open beta label in the UK, but today it's moved into what could be its final phase, with Sony adding a new subscription payment option for its game streaming service. Previously, early adopters were only able to rent titles for two- or 30-day periods at a cost of between £3 and £10, depending on the game. As of now, though, you can sign-up to an all-you-can-play subscription for £13 per month, which could be right up your street should you have an appetite to explore the whole library. The subscription model was an inevitable addition that's been available since the start of the year in the US, where you can also make a longer-term commitment to get a slightly discounted rate. Now that the subscription model has come to the UK, interested users can also opt-in to a seven-day free trial to see what all the fuss is about, provided they own a PS3, PS4 or compatible Sony Bravia TV or Blu-ray player.
YouTube will soon support game streaming from Android phones
Google has revealed that you'll soon be able to stream Android smartphone or tablet games directly to YouTube without any additional software or hardware. The incoming feature will also let you add video and audio commentary via your device's front camera and a headset, and you'll be able to record and upload game play clips to YouTube from Google Play Games. YouTube Gaming head Ryan Wyatt unveiled the feature at the Tokyo Game Show, and Japan will be the first nation to get it.
GameFly brings game streaming to Samsung smart TVs
Is it still soon for video game streaming services? Maybe. OnLive is gone and PlayStation Now has had a rocky launch, making GameFly's entrance all the more surprising. After launching on Amazon's Fire TV, the game rental company is bringing its new "GameFly Streaming" service to Samsung smart TVs in the US, Canada and eight new European markets. It means that with nothing but a controller and a stellar internet connection, you can turn on your TV and play some "AAA" console games. GameFly is pitching it as a "Netflix of Games," but the pricing model isn't quite that simple. Instead of a single fee, you'll have to choose one of its monthly bundles that come with a small smattering of pre-selected titles. The other problem is that, like many of its rivals, the games on offer aren't particularly fresh. To name but a few, there's Sleeping Dogs, Dirt 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins -- all good games, but nothing that'll be vying for Game of the Year 2015.
Xbox One to Windows 10 game streaming is about to look a lot better
Remember that "very high" streaming video setting Reddit users found hiding in the Windows 10 Xbox app? It's available to all users right now. Today Microsoft announced that the app's August update would enable game streaming from Xbox One consoles to Windows 10 PCs in 1080p and 60 frames per second. Nice.
Square Enix is killing its game-streaming service in Japan
Square Enix is shutting down Dive In, the game-streaming service it introduced last year. In a blog post earlier today, the renowned developer/publisher said the platform will cease to exist on September 13th -- less than a year after being launched. The soon-to-be-defunct Dive In, which had only been available in Japan, was designed to let people rent titles such as Season of Mystery or Final Fantasy XIII on their iOS and Android device. How much you'd pay for each game depended on play time, but you could also test them out for 30 minutes at no cost. If you're curious about what the service was like, Kotaku spent some time with it a few months ago -- you can read those impressions here.
PlayStation Now game streaming officially arrives on Vita and PS TV
If you've been itchin' to give PlayStation Now's streaming a go on your gaming handheld, the wait is over. The subscription service officially arrived on the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV, delivering access to over 125 games on those two devices. PlayStation Now had been available on the Vita and PlayStation TV in beta form for months, but now it's making a proper debut after hitting the PS3 back in May. In addition to equipping two more gaming gadgets with the service, five new titles are being added this month. Joining the library of titles in August are Dynasty Warriors 8, MX vs. ATV Supercross, Bomberman Ultra, The Last Guy and, most importantly, God of War III. With new games being added on the regular and Sony offering newcomers a free one-week trial, there's really now excuse for PlayStation owners to take the service for a test drive. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Microsoft opens Xbox-to-Windows game streaming up to everyone
Microsoft's removed the Xbox-to-PC game-streaming restrictions and now anyone with Redmond's latest console and Windows 10 can play Sunset Overdrive or attempt to jump into a few online Halo: The Master Chief Collection matches on their device. More than that, some pretty big new features are hitting the Windows 10 Xbox app including party chat and tweaks to how screenshots and video clips are shared via the Game DVR.
Sony's PlayStation Now UK beta is now open to everyone
Until now, only a select few Brits have been invited to try out Sony's PlayStation Now game streaming service. That changes today, however, as Sony has now opened up the beta trial to anyone wanting to take it for a spin. If you own either a PlayStation 4 or a compatible TV from Sony's Bravia range (and at least one DualShock 3/4 controller), you can fire up PS Now and rent any of a selection of PS3 games for two- or 30-day periods. And since it's a steaming service, you can play them immediately, no download required.
