PS Plus vs xCloud, Streaming Quality and Latency Comparison

Today we can play the latest games released with realistic graphics quite smoothly, all without having to buy a high-end PC. In fact, we can easily play games on our mobile that we would never be able to play, all thanks to cloud and game streaming platforms. Cloud gaming has been around for a few years now, and now we’ll see Sony vs. PlayStation Plus cloud streaming against Microsoft with its Xbox xCloudto see who wins in terms of quality and latency.

Games increasingly require higher PC requirements and if we don’t have a powerful enough computer, we will have to end up buying a console such as PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. These are the current generation consoles for which video games are being developed today, as the PS4 and Xbox One are already starting to be delayed due to lack of power. The truth is that although video games are only compatible with modern consoles and PCs, in the end we can play video games on other devices that do not meet the requirements.

PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming tested against Xbox xCloud

Streaming makes this possible and can be done from a console to another device, from a PC, or directly, regardless of any of these, and simply through the cloud using the computer responsible for running the video game. On PC it was very typical to use steam link due to ease of use and the fact that it is integrated into Steam, although other options such as Parsec or Moonlight They offered better latency. On consoles we have Sony’s own streaming with its PlayStation and Microsoft’s own streaming with xCloud. While Xbox has been using its xCloud streaming service since 2020, Sony has launched PlayStation Plus cloud streaming in October 2023.

We now have a detailed comparison of these two streaming services from Digital Foundry. First of all, it must be said that Sony has up to 60 fps and 4K HDR, although PlayStation Plus Cloud streaming has limitations. The only games you can play 4K are those of PS5, while those from PS4 going to 1080p and those from PS3 at 720p. Another aspect worth commenting on PlayStation streaming is that there are games outside the PS+ catalog that are also streamed, but you need to Buy them like Cyberpunk 2077. Without a doubt, the most negative aspect of Sony’s streaming is that PS5 requiredand Xbox xCloud works on all devicesincluding mobile Android, consoles, Steam Deck And up to TV.

PlayStation wins in image quality and FPS, but loses to xCloud in latency

Now that we’ve seen the main differences between the two streaming services, it’s time to talk about the quality and latency of each. Before moving on to xCloud, we first need PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming vs original PS5where do we see this in 2D games The result is almost identical. However, in 3D games with more realism and action, like in Cyberpunk 2077, details are lost like rain which we can see in the videos and comparison images. Now, if we finally get to comparing the quality of xCloud and PlayStation Plus in terms of streaming, we’re in for a surprise. Xbox xCloud can’t compete with Sony and its streaming via PlayStation Plus, which provides excellent picture quality and greater detail.

This is because the games support resolutions up to 4K instead of 1080p and therefore have higher resolution and bitrate on PlayStation. It’s true that neither of the two services can compete with the native PS5, but it doesn’t look bad at all. Digital Foundry discovered that xCloud offers quality and performance of Xbox Series S not a series

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it’s time to talk about delay between PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming and Xbox xCloud. Here we see how Xbox wins, not only offering lower latency locally, but also the latency added by xCloud. Here we can see it in PlayStation Plus going to 140 ms average approximately, while xCloud works for some 100 ms average.