The push for cloud gaming is not going away any time soon, with the Logitech G Cloud being officially announced as the latest gaming handheld with streaming tech at the forefront. After it was leaked earlier this month, Logitech G Cloud preorders are now live - and if you choose to buy ahead of release on October 18 you can save $50 off the recommended $349.99 price at participating retailers.
To get you quickly up to speed, the Logitech G Cloud is a brand-new cloud-based gaming handheld made in collaboration between Logitech and Tencent. It's fully compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, and Nvidia GeForce Now, so you can play hundreds of Xbox and PC games in 1080p at 60fps through a WiFi connection - as long as you've purchased the relevant games or subscriptions. As it's an Android device, you can also access the Google Play Store to download games, apps, and more. Plus, Fortnite is included for free.
The device sports a 7-inch HD touchscreen, a 12+ hour battery life, and weighs 463g to offer a comfortable and lightweight gaming experience. The design is very similar to the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, with dual analogue sticks, a d-pad, four face buttons and four shoulder buttons. Controls are remappable, while haptic feedback and a gyroscope are also included.
The Logitech G Cloud is an interesting prospect that has the possibility to offer a more affordable and streamlined cloud gaming experience compared to the Steam Deck but will also come with the natural caveats of any game streaming device with its heavy reliance on the strength of your internet connection. Nevertheless, if it sounds like a good fit with your gaming preferences, here's where you pre-order now and save $50. Currently, the handheld is only available in the US and Canada.
Where to buy the Logitech G Cloud
Should I buy the Logitech G Cloud?
The Logitech G Cloud is the latest piece of gaming hardware built around the possibilities of cloud gaming. Using this tech, you stream the games you want to play to the device over a WiFi connection instead of relying on advanced hardware within a PC or games console to run them. Ownership of the games, existing hardware or access to relevant subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is required.
The main benefit of this method includes the flexibility to play games whenever you want around the home at a high specification without the need for dedicated hardware that's usually more fixed, meaning more expensive and potentially outdated within a few years.
Of course, that all sounds like a dream on paper, but you do have to tussle with the erratic and unreliable Wi-Fi impacting performance. A fast internet connection is vital in order to get the best experience - and yet even with some of the top speeds available today, a consistently high-quality gaming experience is far from guaranteed at all times.
So, whether you should rush to buy the Logitech G Cloud is definitely a toss-up right now. Ultimately, it depends on how you prefer to game, what types of games you plan to play, and the strength of your home internet connection. In simple terms: smaller, less demanding and slower-paced titles should fare well. However, major AAA releases, twitch shooters and fast action titles may struggle, even after considerable improvements to the tech and broadband speeds over the last few years. That's why we think the Logitech G Cloud may be a bit ahead of its time.
