Streaming has always seemed a bit of a pipe dream. Netflix and Amazon Prime and such services have absolutely made this a day to day reality with 4K video streaming now an easy option. On the gaming front, this has seemed such an awesome solution to console power and backwards compatibility that it’s unsurprising that many services have come out offering a home console-like experience for a fraction of the install price.
Until every recently, and even now, though, the fact remains that without a very good internet connection, this is still a dream in a pipe. But times have changed, and many regions do have 25 mbps connections as standard. And this is exactly what Google expects if you want to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in your browser.
As part of its Project Stream test, which starts on the 5th of October, Google will allow a limited number of people to play one of the year’s biggest releases, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, from within its Chrome browser, on any PC platform, for free. The title is set to stream at 60fps at a 1080p resolution, which while not the absolute best, outperforms the console versions of the game.
Speaking of console versions, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is also one of the few titles that are able to be played, via streaming, on Nintendo’s little machine. In a mind-blowingly smart move, sidestepping the technical limitations of the box, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will be playable for a daily fee of $6.50 on Nintendo Switch in Japan. Resident Evil 7 has also been available for the Switch in the region for the much more reasonable price of $18 for 180 days of play, more than enough to finish the game. Capcom have also revealed that they are currently looking at bringing other titles to the hybrid giving hope to gamers who desire everything on the machine, but who don’t want to settle for watered down versions of Doom or Wolfenstein.
It’s very easy to see this as a viable avenue for gaming in the future. PlayStation Now has been steadily growing over time with experts convinced streaming will replace home consoles in the very near future. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is certainly taking a step in that direction for both consoles and PC and if it succeeds, could very much mark the start of the inevitable mass leap to cloud gaming.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is out on October 5th out for PS4, Xbox One, PC. Check out our review in progress to see what we think.
