The annual Game Developers Conference isn’t known for generating big headlines, but this year is different. Google announced earlier this year that it will hold a keynote at the event, during which it is expected to formally announce its long-awaited cloud gaming platform. The whole thing is shrouded in mystery, but we’ll see exactly how Google plans to compete in the video game market at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 19th.
We got a taste of Google’s platform last fall, when the company invited select users to try out its Project Stream cloud gaming tech by letting them stream Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in Chrome. As I said at the time, the test was about as close to flawless as I could have expected, and showed the potential of Google’s platform.
A variety of reports have hinted at what the platform might look like when it launches, such as a leak from Kotaku this week which suggests that the only hardware on display today might be a controller. Google’s main goal is apparently to bring triple-A, high-quality titles to virtually every platform, including Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, and more. If the report is accurate, Google’s ambitions for the cloud gaming platform are extremely high.
Cloud gaming has been subjected to countless false starts over the past several years, as no company has been able to achieve the level of quality necessary to survive long term. But, as we’ve said at least once before, Google has the resources necessary to make cloud gaming a reality, and we’re just moments away from finding out what the tech giant has in store as it unveils its “vision for the future of gaming.”
