Logitech has announced a cloud-based gaming device to rival the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck – introducing the Logitech G Cloud.
That’s one way to do it
While the Switch and Steam Deck handle real-time rendering internally, the Logitech G Cloud leaves that up to the cloud servers. It’s running an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor. That’s the same mid-range chip in Samsung’s Galaxy A52 and A72 smartphones from last year.
That chip might provide adequate power to run games locally on those devices, but those are Android games and that definitely isn’t the focus of the Logitech G Cloud.
Here, your gaming requires a separate, paid-for game streaming service, like Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming or Nvidia’s GeForce Now. It wasn’t specifically mentioned but we don’t see why Google’s Stadia (yes, that’s still a thing) or other obscure games streaming services won’t work.
As for the other internal bits, the Logitech G Cloud sports a 7in FHD 60Hz LCD display. There’s 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal flash storage. You can expand the storage with a MicroSD card but because you aren’t installing the games you play on the device, you probably won’t need to do that for a while.
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Powering everything is an internal 6,000mAh battery. Logitech says you should get around 12 hours of game streaming on a single charge. But that’s “under normal play conditions” (50% brightness and volume), so your mileage may vary.
That battery is charged via the USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port. Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 and Power Delivery 3.0 are supported for 18W fast charging and there is also a 3.5mm audio jack if you’re feeling old-school.
We sense a disturbance in the G cloud
The Logitech G Cloud ships running Android 11. That’s already two years old. Android 13 is on its way to the masses in the next few months. We’re not sure why Android 11 was the chosen OS but we suspect the answer probably has to do with money.
The other initial concern we have is the requirement for a WiFi connection. The Logitech G Cloud supports dual-band WiFi 5 (802.11ac). Unfortunately, the powers that be decided not to include a cellular option even though the Snapdragon CPU offers that possibility. That means your only option is WiFi.
That kinda reduces the purpose of a handheld gaming console. If you’re looking to game on the go, you need to be going somewhere with good WiFi. Roadtrip gaming is out of the question, at least for now.
Then there’s the price and availability. The Logitech G Cloud starts at $350 (R6,200) in the US. That’s $50 (R890) more than the US Switch and the same price as the Switch OLED.
There’s no telling if Logitech will support the device in South Africa. But it’s highly unlikely given that it only supports cloud gaming. South Africa isn’t on the ‘supported countries’ lists for the main cloud gaming services meaning you’ll need a VPN which will add to the cost of your cloud gaming.
Source: Ars Technica