I have been a big supporter of cloud gaming since the days of OnLive. The ability to play games instantly without needing dedicated hardware, save for a game controller is hugely appealing.
Yes, there is a latency issue to overcome and you need a decent internet connection, but having hundreds of games available to stream without a console or gaming PC anywhere in sight is a dream many of us have had for years.
We've had casualties along the way – the aforementioned OnLive and Google's Stadia being two of the biggest – and, strictly speaking, cloud games still work best on a console or PC, but we're getting there. And, I believe that Antstream is leading the way.
It has recently launched its Antstream Arcade service for Xbox consoles, having already been available on computers and Android devices, and I'm hooked. In many ways, it is better than Microsoft's own Xbox Cloud Gaming for me. And that's not just because I'm a retro games nut.
Antstream Arcade is a portal to more than 1,400 titles from the early days of gaming – the 70s, 80s and 90s. It features emulated games originally released for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga, SNES, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and many more home computers and consoles of yore.
That in itself appeals to me greatly, considering my career has seen me edit plenty of gaming magazines and produce/appear on TV shows about the subject – Your Commodore (YC), Your Amiga, plus Channel 4's GamesMaster and Sky's Games World being the most notable. For me, Antstream Arcade presents fond memories of taking screenshots with a camera while sitting underneath a bin bag to block out the light, or of commentating on a TV challenge where a celebrity woefully fails to win a joystick sprayed with gold paint.
But, it's also so much more than that – while being a retrospective look back at the past, it shows a bright future for cloud gaming in general, one where games load instantly and controller lag is a thing of the past.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
The main reason why Antstream's service has rapidly risen to the top of my favourites is that it is superfast and super-responsive.
Let's face it, games of the 80s in particular were almost universally tough, with pixel-perfect jumps and movements needed to progress. Add latency to the mix and you'd be stuffed. Admittedly, frame rates back then were nothing to shout about, but timing was still key.
Anstream Arcade manages to present all of its games with nigh-on instant response times, making them even more of a joy to play today. You'd be hard pushed to find similar interaction on any other cloud gaming platform right now.
Of course, retro games aren't exactly data intensive and don't really need to be streamed at 4K 60fps on the best televisions around, so that helps. But just try the service for yourself and you'll see what I mean.
On top of that, many of the games on the service are enhanced through player challenges and tournaments. Some even have added extras, with the potential for new levels and the like. And every game has an auto save plus three manual save slots for you to pick up where you left off. In short, every effort has been made to make it as user friendly as possible, and that's what will inevitably attract a wider audience.
Whether they'll want to play a 40-year-old fighting game where the sticks are the main characters rather than their weapons, we'll have to see. But for me, cloud gaming has finally got a platform I can really get behind.
Antstream Arcade is available on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One now, priced at £29.99 for a year's access, £79.99 for lifetime membership.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
-
Google Pixel 9a tipped for a camera change you might find surprising
Details on the Google Pixel 9a camera might not be what you expect
By Chris Hall Published
-
Your Google Pixel Tablet just got a neat new trick that transforms it into a smart home hub
This is great news for smart home enthusiasts
By Lizzie Wilmot Published
-
Google Pixel 9a tipped for a camera change you might find surprising
Details on the Google Pixel 9a camera might not be what you expect
By Chris Hall Published
-
Google Search gets an unusual update that could prove controversial
Google is stripping away a potentially useful tool, one that it says few people use.
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Google’s Pixel Drop brings great free updates for your Pixel phone, new or old
Android 15 rolls out at last, and that means there's a neat Pixel Drop to go with it
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Android phones getting something iPhone owners outside Europe can only dream of
Court ruling ramifications becoming clear
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Google TV Streamer’s best feature is coming to your Chromecast
Chromecast with Google TV can now deliver Google's smart home controls
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Google could be tearing up its copy book for the Pixel 9a
The next affordable Pixel phone might launch sooner than expected
By Chris Hall Published
-
Your Philips, Sony or Panasonic smart TV gets some powerful new features for free
The Google TV Streamer isn't the only one having all the fun
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Gmail gets a great free update to help you organise your life
Never miss an important email again (as long as they are within four categories)
By Britta O'Boyle Published