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This article is based on a source from Gaming on Linux.

Cloud streaming can be a bit of a contentious topic, with some saying that it can never be a replacement for playing a game locally on your own hardware, but no one can deny that there are use cases when it's a very useful tool to have at your disposal. If you've gone to a friend's house and they've wanted to play a game with you, it can be far easier to just log in to a cloud streaming service on your Steam Deck and stream the game rather than waiting an hour for it to download.

AmazonGameLift 1
Image Credit: Amazon

That being said, it's not always straightforward for developers to offer their games on these services. Amazon GameLift Streams is aiming to change that. As reported on Gaming on Linux, Amazon GameLift Streams will allow developers to pay for and host their own streaming services using Amazon Web Services servers. This will hopefully pave the way for a more decentralized streaming system, that isn't tied to services like GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass. Instead, developers can host individual services on a per-game basis.

Amazon notes how other companies, such as Bandai Namco and Jackbox Games are already taking advantage of GameLift Streams for their games. They also note how GameLift Streams will support Windows, Linux, and Proton runtimes, and that players will be able to stream games to any device with a WebRTC-Enabled browser, such as Smart TVs, phones, and PCs.

As for how this works for developers, Amazon claims that they will need to do no or very little altering of their code to make the game work with GameLift Streams. They didn't specifically comment on pricing, but looking into it, it seems like it will work in much the same way as other AWS services, where you pay for resources used, rather than a fixed fee. So if your game or demo that you put up to stream proves very popular, expect the bill to be much higher. On the flip side, it also means you shouldn't have to pay too much if your game is less popular.

What do you think? Do you think Amazon GameLift Streams new method of game streaming is more accessible to developers, is it a good step forward? Let us know in the comments below!

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Oliver Stogden
Oliver began playing video games at an early age, starting with the SNES console and Commodore Amiga computer. Nowadays, his interest is in the future of portable technology, such as handheld gaming systems, portable power stations/banks, and portable monitors. And seeing just how far we can push these devices.
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