While cloud gaming can completely change how you play video games, it does have its flaws. You need a fast wireless connection, cloud gaming services aren't available in all regions, and some services don't allow you to play any game you like. However, I've been connecting to cloud gaming services from my PC for a few years now, and there are a lot of reasons I use it over traditional local gaming.

4 It helps with creating a work-life balance

No more little temptations

Working from home on your gaming PC can be a major test of self-discipline. When you're at the office, you have no access to your games. When you're sitting at home and all of your games are lined up on your desktop waiting for you to play them, things get a little tough.

With a cloud gaming PC, I've noticed that this temptation has mostly gone away. I use a service called Shadow, which gives you a full PC on the cloud and streams it to your device of choice. When I want to game, I just have to double-click the Shadow shortcut on my desktop, and it'll open up a stream to a cloud PC. From there, I can kit out my Shadow PC with everything I need to get started gaming, including installing all my games, setting up automatic start-up apps, and laying out my game shortcuts on the desktop.

Because all of my gaming-related apps and services are on my Shadow PC, I don't need to install them on my home computer. Instead, I can kit it out with more work-oriented apps, cutting out all potential distractions during working hours. When it's time to take a break, I boot up my Shadow PC, and everything I need to play games is waiting for me. It's a great way to set a nice boundary between work and play, ensuring the two don't mix.

3 You become free from hardware-related worries

No more ruined days over malfunctioning equipment

When I had a gaming PC, I often panicked when dealing with malfunctioning hardware, whether it was blue screens, sudden shutoffs, or undetected GPUs. Worst of all, each problem could have a multitude of causes. Was the issue due to the power supply, the GPU, or the motherboard? Finding out would be expensive and time-wasting.

With cloud gaming, I don't have those worries anymore. When you boot up a game on the cloud, the service automatically provides you with spare hardware within its server cluster. If something goes wrong with that hardware, all you need to do is shut off the stream and try again, and the service will assign you to hardware that's working properly. No more worrying about operating temperatures and incorrectly fitted hardware; that's all the provider's responsibility.

2 You can continue gaming no matter where you are

Location is no longer an issue

With your gaming PC on the cloud, it doesn't matter where you are or what device you're using. As long as you have a stable internet connection and a compatible device, you can stream your games wherever you are. If you decide to shell out for the more premium cloud gaming services like Shadow or Maximum Settings, you get access to a full PC on the cloud. Some services even allow you to continue your session on another device. For example, you can use Xbox cloud gaming on a Lenovo Legion Go while you're out, then pick back up exactly where you left off on your home PC.

This is all great for gaming on the go, but it also means you can equip it with apps, services, and files that you can access from anywhere on any device. I've lost track of how often I've tweaked and accessed files on my phone through my Shadow PC from the comfort of my bed.

1 There are options for all kinds of budgets

A cloud gaming plan for all

One of my favorite things about cloud gaming is that there's a service for just about anybody, ranging from playing games for free on the cloud to renting out a full-blown gaming PC you can access from anywhere.

On one side of the spectrum, it's possible to try out cloud gaming without spending a cent. I got started with cloud gaming by using the GeForce Now free membership plan to play World of Tanks, a free-to-play game. Yes, it did suck that the free version only lets you play for an hour before booting you off, but a match of World of Tanks never lasted that long, anyway.

GeForce Now does offer some beefier PCs with longer session times if you pay a monthly sub. For example, GeForce Now Ultimate gives you an RTX 4080 and 8-hour sessions for $19.99 per month. People who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate already have access to cloud gaming as part of their subscription but can also play games from the Game Pass catalog for free. These are excellent midrange choices.

If you want to get the most out of cloud gaming, the high-end range has it all. As I mentioned before, I'm personally a huge fan of Shadow, which starts at $29.99 per month before any storage or hardware upgrades. It's pricey, but you get a Windows 11 PC without restrictions on which games you can play or what mods you can install.

Cloud gaming isn't perfect, but I still love it

Cloud gaming isn't for everyone, and for every reason I can list why people should use it, I could get five more valid opinions stating why you shouldn't. But for me, cloud gaming has gotten rid of my hardware woes, helped me with my work-life balance, and allowed me to invest as much as I want to in the hobby. And because of that, I hope cloud gaming grows further in 2024.