After Google, Microsoft, Sony, and Amazon, Verizon too has its eyes on the nascent game streaming market. According to a recent report, the telecom giant is working on a game streaming service called Verizon Gaming. It's currently in development and working on the Nvidia Shield. Verizon is currently conducting alpha testing of the service on the Nvidia Shield with a private test for Google Play slated for this month. The initial tests for it will conclude at the end of January. Apparently 135 games are playable during this trial run. Those taking part get $150 Amazon gift card and are given a free Nvidia Shield, Xbox One controller, and login for the trials.
Perplexingly, Verizon Gaming appears to have the likes of God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2. Amusing since the former is a PS4 exclusive while the latter doesn't even have a PC port yet. These are most likely placeholder images. Preliminary results seem to suggest the experience is far from satisfactory.
"Indeed, in response to a few complaints from testers over lag and a poor early experience, Verizon says that it's currently focused on getting the fundamentals right before worrying about game selection," claims The Verge. "'This trial is primarily focused on performance,' the Verizon Gaming team recently wrote in an email to participants. 'At a later date, when we advance the product, our library will consist of most or all of the top games you are familiar with — but at this early stage we're working on the engine and its parts.'"
The report suggests that Verizon Gaming could be powered by tech from Utomik, a small company specialising in streaming. Considering the competition seem to be using their own in-house tech, it'll be interesting to see how Verizon's streaming ambitions pan out.
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