Cloud gaming and game streaming guide

Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service has been in the works for years and finally came out of beta last year. There are two membership options for GeForce Now: Free and Priority. This makes it the cheapest game streaming service out there… but there’s a reason for that.

Unlike PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which have extensive libraries of game titles included, GeForce Now only lets you play free titles and games you already own.

You can connect your Steam, Battle.net, Epic, and UPlay accounts to GeForce Now, meaning you can run them on high-end gaming PCs and stream them to any compatible device. While the game streaming service does support hundreds of major game titles, there are a few on Steam that are not included.

How much does Nvidia GeForce Now cost?

Nvidia GeForce Now costs £8.99 a month for its Priority membership or free of charge with 1-hour limited sessions.

For all of these game streaming services, you'll need a reliable and fairly fast broadband service to keep gameplay smooth and speedy.

See our latest broadband deals

Cloud gaming and game streaming on Twitch

Earlier we mentioned the difference between streaming games and live-streaming gameplay; Twitch is a platform dedicated to live-streaming videos and is particularly popular with the latter.

Although game streaming on Twitch makes up the majority of its traffic, the platform supports all sorts of content. This includes cooking tutorials, live music sessions, podcasts, esports, crafting and hobbies, workouts and fitness classes, and Q&As with your favourite influencers.

How to stream on Twitch

You can stream on Twitch using pretty much any platform and device that is connected to the internet. The Twitch app is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, PS4 and Xbox One, as well as streaming devices, like Chromecast and Apple TV.

If you want to comment, follow, or interact with content or stream your own content, you’ll need to create a Twitch account. To do this, visit Twitch.tv and follow the instructions.

How to stream on Twitch from your PC

If you are a PC gamer streaming on Twitch, there are a number of different broadcast applications you can use to stream. Each application has its own list of pros and cons, most of which comes down to how easy they are to use and how much they cost.

Some applications will allow you to customise your streaming interface and share your live stream on multiple channels, including Twitch, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

Probably the most common broadcasting application is OBS Studio, which is a free, open-source streaming software with cross-platform compatibility. Twitch is also developing its own proprietary streaming software, Twitch Studio, which is currently in open beta.

It has guided setup, built-in integration to Twitch, and plenty of customisation options which is ideal for new streamers looking for an easy setup process and high-quality live streaming.

How to stream on Twitch from Playstation 4

You can stream games to Twitch directly from your PS4. Simply navigate to ‘Share’ and select ‘Broadcast Gameplay’. You can then enter a title and set streaming options, and select to broadcast to Twitch or UStream.

Comments from viewers will be visible on your PS4 screen through a narrow scrolling display.

How to stream on Twitch from Xbox One

Streaming from your Xbox One is a little more complicated. You’ll first need to download the Twitch app from the Microsoft Store. And before you go live for the first time, take some time to make sure all your settings are correct.

In the “Others can see if you’re online” setting, you’ll need to set your “Online status & history” to “Everybody”.

Then in “Game Content” set the “You can broadcast gameplay” setting to “Allow”.

Finally, if you’re using a camera, you’ll need to set “You can share content made using Kinect or other cameras” to “Allow”.

Then you just need to select “Start Streaming” and you’ll be live. Simply click “Stop Streaming” when you’re done.

How to host on Twitch

Twitch gives users the ability to broadcast another person’s Twitch channel on their own, which is a great way to help build the following of other users, especially if you have a large following.

Here’s how to host on Twitch:

1. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select ‘Channel’.
3. From there, you’ll see a chat section on the right-hand side of the screen.
4. Enter /host USERNAME in the “Send a message” section of the chat with the name of the channel you want to host.
5. When you’re ready to stop hosting another user's channel, type "/unhost".

How to link Amazon Prime to Twitch

If you want to get the most out of your Twitch account, you could subscribe to Twitch Prime, which gives you access to the following streaming benefits:

One Twitch channel subscription In-game content at no additional cost Twitch Prime loot to gift to other Twitch members Exclusive emotes Additional chat colours Exclusive chat badge

Twitch Prime is also now known as Prime Gaming, which is now included as part of Amazon Prime. You just need to connect your Twitch account to your Amazon Prime account. Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to Prime Gaming in your browser.
2. Click on ‘Activate Prime Gaming’ in the top right of your screen to log into your Amazon Prime account if you have one.
3. In the left-hand menu, you’ll then see the option to ‘Link Twitch Account’ which will then prompt you to log in to your Twitch account.
4. Click “Confirm” and you’re all set to receive your in-game look and more.

Live streaming gameplay as well as streaming the games themselves will take a toll on your broadband. Make sure you have a broadband deal that gives you enough bandwidth to keep playing.