Facebook introduces Cloud Gaming for Android and web

Following the footsteps of Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia, Facebook on Monday announced their own version of cloud gaming service.

Facebook Gaming has already launched several cloud-streamed games in the Facebook app and on a browser, and the Beta version of this service is initially available in some US states, like California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and others.

(Picture: Facebook)

Unlike their predecessors, Facebook's cloud streaming won't be a separate service with its own name and brand, but a feature of Facebook Gaming, with a goal of seamless integration to their already established gaming platform.

"And if we do our jobs right, you won’t notice how the games are delivered," says Jason Rubin, VP of Play over at Facebook.

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Rubin emphasized that they don't want to "overpromise and under-deliver" alluding to Google's disappointing start with Google Stadia.

"We believe in the long-term future of cloud gaming, but we aren’t going to try to wow you with the wonders of our data centres, compression algorithms, resolutions, or frames per second," he explains their approach to the game streaming technology.

Facebook acknowledges the importance of PC and console gaming and states that they don't want to replace those with cloud, but to offer additional opportunities and ways to play games.

(Picture: Facebook) 

In a spirit of their slow and careful approach, the first set of games they are offering will mostly be the type of games that are already popular on Facebook - free to play mobile games which won't suffer from any potential issues with latency caused by streaming.

Still, they are warning users that the service is still in the beta, and that issues and glitches will appear, and that users should report any problem they encounter.

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And while all games currently available are f2p titles, in-game purchases and ads will be present from day one.

The first set of games available this week includes:

• Asphalt 9: Legends by Gameloft
• Mobile Legends: Adventure by Moonton
• PGA TOUR Golf Shootout by Concrete Software, Inc.
• Solitaire: Arthur’s Tale by Qublix Games
• WWE SuperCard by 2K

In the coming weeks, they are planning to add Dirt Bike Unchained by Red Bull and promising to keep expanding the library of available games with different genres and experiences.

The genres they are focused on currently are sports, card, simulation, and strategy games, and for 2021 they plan to expand their cloud offer with action and adventure games.