If all-in-one VR machines allow us to see the potential of wireless VR, then VR cloud games and cloud VR allow us to see the prospects of improving the performance of all-in-one VR machines. Cloud gaming, as the name suggests, puts computing in the cloud. It supports a wide range

If all-in-one VR machines allow us to see the potential of wireless VR, then VR cloud games and cloud VR allow us to see the prospects of improving the performance of all-in-one VR machines. Cloud gaming, as the name suggests, puts computing in the cloud. It supports a wide range of hardware terminals and can run AAA PC games even on mobile phones. The principle is to run the game content on the cloud server and then stream it remotely to the hardware terminal through the network.

Among the various cloud gaming services on the market, Shadow and PlutoSphere are two common solutions that support VR games. They allow you to run PC VR games on Quest without connecting to a local computer. So how to choose between different cloud services ? Recently, YouTube bloggers Cas and Chary VR evaluated these two cloud gaming services and compared their main differences, advantages, disadvantages and payment standards.

Key differences

Overall, Shadow focuses more on 2D cloud games, VR games are a newly added feature in 2020, and the Quest client application is still in the testing stage (SideQuest). In contrast, PlutoSphere is a cloud service focused on XR streaming, and its Quest application has been launched on SideQuest earlier this year. In addition, PlutoSphere's virtual computer is pre-installed with SteamVR, so there is no need to configure additional VR software.

Performance

Under default settings, Cas and Chary tested the effect of Quest 2 running VR games in 72Hz mode (including "Beat Saber", "Blade & Sorcery", "Fracked", "Half-Life: Alyx"). After testing

, we found that the operating effects and playability of Shadow and PlutoSphere are good enough. In terms of image quality, PlutoSphere is significantly clearer, while Shadow has more artifacts during streaming.

However, PlutoSphere is more prone to bugs during runtime, and even has compatibility issues with some games. Cas and Chary said: "Half-Life: Alyx" can be run better on Shadow, but the game does not perform well on PlutoSphere.

In terms of latency, both services are similar, and the effect of running slow-paced games will be better.

Billing standard

Shadow: $30/month for unlimited use, including 256GB of permanent storage.

PlutoSphere: Pay by the hour, the price is about US$2 per hour, pay with tokens, and there are discounts for buying tokens in bulk. Persistent storage is billed monthly, starting at $9.99 per month for 128GB of storage.

Compatible devices and regions

Shadow: Supports Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Android, AndroidTV and iOS/tvOS systems. The web version is not supported. You need to download the app. Supported regions include: United States, United Kingdom, Belgium , France, Germany, Switzerland , Luxembourg and Netherlands . Supports Quest 1&2.

PlutoSphere: supports running on the web, so it is compatible with Android, iOS, HoloLens 2 and other devices, and Windows native software will be launched soon. PlutoSphere's servers are based on AWS, so the coverage is wide enough and the latency is theoretically low enough. As long as the nearby server can send you a ping signal of less than 100 milliseconds, you can connect. Supports Quest 1&2.

minimum network requirements

Shadow: download speed at least 50Mbps, 5Ghz WiFi, ping signal less than 20 milliseconds.

PlutoSphere: download speed at least 50Mbps, 5Ghz WiFi (WiFi 6 recommended), ping signal less than 100 milliseconds.

cloud host configuration

Shadow:

PlutoSphere:

setup comparison

Shadow: There are few initial setup steps, including installing the client from SideQuest and then starting it in VR.

PlutoSphere: There are more initial setup steps. After setup is complete, you need to access the device's dashboard to start the service, which will take 10 to 15 minutes. Then you need to start SteamVR on the virtual PC to run it on Quest.

Summary

Cas and Chary believe that Shadow has better overall performance, the software is easier to use, has fewer problems, and can run PC VR games quickly. The streaming quality of PlutoSphere is better, but it is limited to supported VR games.

In addition, players can choose based on how long they want to play VR games and the games they want to play. For now, Shadow is more cost-effective, and PlutoSphere will need to be further repaired and optimized in the future.

In short, although cloud VR gaming is not a simple technology, it has begun to emerge, allowing us to see its future development potential. Reference: RoadtoVR