Andrew Heinzman
Alienware is kicking off CES 2022 with Concept Nyx, a cloud gaming prototype that has nothing to do with the cloud. Really, it’s a local streaming tool that beams up to four games from your PC to other devices in your home. While I think that the branding behind Concept Nyx is a bit misleading, I also believe that it’s something we should pursue until cloud gaming reaches maturity.
Technically speaking, Concept Nyx is a very old idea. Sony’s Remote Play feature, which launched in 2006, streams PlayStation games to all kinds of devices, including tablets and laptops. And Concept Nyx is virtually identical to Steam’s Remote Play tool—they both beam games from your PC to other products in your home.
But “cloudless game streaming” tools like Steam or Sony Remote Play really aren’t that popular or well-known. And that’s a shame, because for many people, these tools are better and more reliable than Stadia or other real cloud gaming services.
I know a lot of people tout Stadia and Xbox Cloud Gaming as low-cost alternatives to expensive gaming hardware, but for the average gamer, these services are too expensive to set up and maintain. They require a fast internet connection, which can be very expensive, plus monthly service fees. Oh, and if you’re a tortured Xfinity customer (like I am), cloud gaming will blow straight through your data limit.
Buying a $500 console or $1,000 gaming PC isn’t exactly “cost-effective,” I’m well aware of that. But most gamers own something that plays games. Manufacturers need to develop software like Concept Nyx to take advantage of the hardware that gamers already own, at least until cloud gaming becomes what it promises to be.
Alienware says that the ideas behind Concept Nyx will find their way into future products, which makes sense. Local game streaming is the only way that Alienware and other non-Microsoft-sized companies can participate in the cloud gaming market. And again, “cloudless” game streaming could help gamers enjoy the benefits of cloud gaming without falling under a mountain of monthly fees.
Source: Alienware
