OnLive system review

A few months ago I came across the OnLive gaming system and had fallen in love as soon as I played it. This system uses cloud gaming which means that you basically stream your game over the internet so you do not need a high end gaming PC, PS3 or Xbox 360.

Onlive works on Pcs/laptops or can be used with a television, monitor or tablet via their Onlive gaming console that retails at around £80 from their website.

Gameplay

The gameplay on this system is very impressive especially that the game is being streamed from a server over the internet. The internet connection that you have plays a big part in how your gaming experience will be. If you have a steady internet connection of 4 Mbit or more then you will be able to play with no problems. If you have a steady 8Mbit connection you can stream games in HD.

While browsing the available games you can view other people playing the game you are interested in so that you can get a good idea of what the gameplay is like. You can even cheer the player on.

Controllers

Onlive has their own controller that is a mix between the Xbox 360 and PS3 pad. There is also a record button at the bottom so that you can start recording your gameplay and upload it to facebook instantly.

One of the best things is that you can use a lot of different controllers with the console. PS3, Xbox 360, mouse and keyboards and other PC controllers are all compatible so there is finally a way to settle what kind of gamer is the best.

Games Available

For a rather small company, there is well over 100 games to play including new releases such as Saints Row the third, Batman and Assassins Creed. There is also some older games that you can play such as tomb raider and Abe's Oddysee.

There is a games pack available at £6.99 a month, this gives you access to over 100 games.

Advantages over other consoles

I know most people will be sceptical of this console, especially if you play on another console. Don't be. This is so much cheaper than any other new gaming consoles in it's league and delivers the same quality of gaming experience.

There is no download times for games unlike others as everything is done remotely so you can start gaming immediately with no delays.

Games are typically cheaper to buy on Onlive than in shops and you can rent the games instantly for 3 days or 1 week blocks. You also get a free trial of all games to try them out before you buy or rent. You don't only have one chance to play the free trial. You can play the game again and again to make sure that you are certain that the gameplay is for you.

Overall score

I feel that this needs to get out to more people as this little gem of a gaming console is both cheap to buy and is very cheap in the long run too. I would have to give this a score of 8/10.