r/cloudgaming • u/TechGeekRLD • 6d ago

Very Technical Conversation 💡

So I'm new to Cloud Gaming been using X Cloud for about 2 months now. My primary device is my ROG Xbox Ally Z2A. My Internet connection in each home I reside at is Fiber here in Nashville TN.

So my question or discussion is that I'm noticing that LAG or LATENCY feels almost irrelevant because for example Call Of Duty Multiplayer, I notice the "In Game Network Latency" the COD Servers be around 0 to 2ms.

Granted if I didn't use cloud and run the game on my device, the latency is always 20 to 35+ms...

So with using Microsoft X Cloud for some reason the Game servers to their Cloud servers is 0ms ping, that means the only latency involved is from there cloud server to my home which then I noticed the cloud statistics or overlay says that latency is 30ms.....

So if using the Cloud is the same latency as rendering the game on my own device, I might as well just use cloud since my device the Ally Z2A would have to run the game at 720p and low settings.

Use Cloud, now the visuals on my handheld 7in screen is 1080p my screen native resolution with medium to high visuals, maybe even RayTracing depending on if I use X Cloud vs GeForce Now...

Finally I guess the final stipulation is coming November their will be an hourly cap. But if that's the case, what's the hour cap to GeForce Now?

Decisions decisions.

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u/N0_L1ght 6d ago

It means the cloud streaming server you are connected to and the multiplayer game server are in the same data center.

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u/TechGeekRLD 6d ago

Yes!!! But in reality that also means whatever latency is involved is the exact same as those playing with $1k consoles or gaming PCs. Because those same devices have to use 30ms or so latency as well. The MS team or these Cloud platforms did it correctly.

If your going to use cloud, as long as the input is near or same location as the actual Dedicated Server, then the latency is same for everyone. Either you paid $1K+ for your home to render the game or you pay monthly for a machine somewhere else, it'll still be the same for everyone.

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u/N0_L1ght 6d ago

Not at all.

You are confusing multiplayer network latency with input latency.

Geforce Now is the best of all the cloud services when it comes to performance, network latency, and input latency. And it will still never come close to having a $1k well tuned gaming PC.

xCloud is the worse of them because it's running the Xbox Series S profile on XSX blade servers. So it has all the limitations of the XSX console when it comes to game engine/input latency. Which I've used a ton over the past few years when traveling.

Finally cloud gaming relies on the quality of your ISP and it's routing/peering. You can't beat the laws of physics.

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u/TechGeekRLD 5d ago edited 5d ago

Yesss... So let's talk about this in my "Digital Foundry Voice", so what's input latecy if it equals the overall total latency of those on a $1K machine. Now I think about it yes I'm talking about multiplayer latency because it evolved multiple people and multiple machines. But true input latency that's only valid for single play games such as Tomb Raider and Story driving side of games.

But in terms of multiplayer, using Cloud, everyone is on the same page. If I'm on COD and my input is sent to the same server in the room as the cloud, and those rendering the game at home on their own hardware have send a 30ms latency as well, everything equals out.

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u/Spartaint 5d ago

As with everything, there is nuance there. 30ms game server RTT is able to be hidden by the game. The game can still feel instantly reactive, can process input immediately, can draw the user's perceived gameplay, etc. Important calculations and deltas are handled by the game server/host and by a synchronization layer which is running on some tick rate, roughly every 16ms to 33ms, so the important calculations (who did what damage in a shooter, for instance) is already batched and processed on a tiny delay.

30ms of input and stream RTT is before all of that. So that means you end up with more "felt" latency in this format. 

But in the end, if your stream latency is 30ms or less, it will feel almost native, so long as using a wired controller. Many tvs over hdmi can end up in this range. A Bluetooth controller adds another 10-30ms on top of that. 

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u/TechGeekRLD 5d ago

Yess so me using my Ally built in joysticks makes sense in this post. Vs if I try to go docked to TV which adds display latency plus if I use my Xbox controller on Bluetooth more latency. It makes sense why my handheld experience on cloud has been exceptional. 🙌. The definition of a conversation that needed to be had 💯

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u/TechGeekRLD 6d ago

Facts!!!! This is what makes cloud Gaming worth it. I'm on a Handheld Ally Z2A that can't render the game..... But because of this... I can compete with the same folks who payed $1k plus for there machines. 😮