Say what you will about cloud-based gaming, but the fact that we can play Control: Ultimate Edition on our Switch consoles with cool next-gen features like ray-tracing is something to be celebrated, and with more major games on the way, this approach could see the Switch's library expanded in interesting ways.
However, not everybody is invited to this cloud-based party, it seems. Our Australian correspondent, Liam Doolan, has noticed that Control (downloaded from the North American eShop) is rendered unplayable in his part of the world.
Control – and Hitman 3, which is also a cloud version – both require stable and strong internet connections to funnel all of that data to your Switch console (as well as send back your inputs to the server).
As suggested by Australian site Vooks, that infrastructure might not exist in many parts of Australia (xCloud and Stadia aren't available down under, either) – but another issue is that the servers pumping out this data are most likely regional, and so if Control hasn't been officially launched in your country, you won't be able to play it – even if you download the game from another eShop region.
Comments 61
That is really bad news.
Can't be helped yet. They have to expand more. Maybe if people buy into it more we'll see it get pushed out to other regions.
Cloud-based gaming doesn't even make sense for the Switch - I want to take my Switch out and about.
Dodged a bullet there.
@EarthboundBenjy Yeah this is one thing I could never get excited about.
This just shows Cloud gaming is crap. Not to mention once the company cant be bothered they can just turn the game off at any point, therefore you just paid for nothing.
I guess that's the cost of it working so well - it can't maintain that quality everywhere.
I think it's technically impressive, but PC or native console versions are always the way to go. Don't worry Australia, you aren't missing out
That's what we get when the LNP government botches a multi-billion dollar national broadband network. Couldn't care too much about this specific title because it's available on other platforms, but the fact that we are never offered cloud solutions like GamePass and Stadia at launch is disappointing.
The infrastructure is so bad that I can't see cloud-based gaming being very reliable here in the near future so hopefully not too many companies decide to push the concept heavily at our expense. Seems like a horrible idea to me in general though. Doubly so for a handheld device like the Switch. Just make the best games you can that run on the hardware and forget about the ones that can't run, people can play them elsewhere. Once we start down the path of cloud-based gaming, it's a slippery slope till we get to the point where lazy devs are chose it as an option over porting games properly even when they could run just fine with the right optimisation.
Another reason why cloud gaming is not the future. Modding is.
I tried the game last night with the console docked and a wired connection, and the SOUND of all things was struggling and intermittent. I'm talking about a central European city. No clouds for me, thanks.
I feel like the gaming industry is trying to force the cloud concept ahead of its time. I'm sure some people want it, but most seem content with things as they are. Let this happen when the technology and the audience are ready.
Cloud version? I would rather get a downgraded version than this. We need a switch pro soon, but those cloud games are a sign that it's not going to happen...
I rest my case. And say hello to another "This session will end automatically", the younger cousin of Vita's "connection speed isn't fast enough for Remote Play". Which, incidentally, I've been recurrently getting on our local 4G even in the console's default 544p as of late - and what of Switch's native 720p where even eShop videos can be a chore to sit through to the end of? A resolution toggle could widen the playground a bit, but like Vita's 360p RP, it does risk a more blurry interface and text... and in 2020, with 720p itself a borderline expletive among the younger gamers, it's hard to imagine all that readily implemented at all.
The industry and the audiences alike seem to insist on having their cake and eating it... but at this point, cloud gaming has to be defined either by the internet speeds they don't have or the video stream qualities they (allegedly) don't digest. As I've said before, that's the stalemate here.
Cloud gaming is an excellent option that complements on local hardware gaming. It's silly to think that there's a battle between the two, mainly because they both have their pros and cons, as well as their specific situations were one could be more convenient than the other.
Having more options in the way of gaming is always good for me.
@EarthboundBenjy I mean, the only solution I could think of is a hotspot, but that would drain data plans
I’ll try and console myself while I’m at the beach tomorrow. 🏖
I wonder what Liam’s NBN hookup and connection is? I tried the same method myself and didn’t get that error message. My experience was smoother overall with less stuttering. The real killer for me was the input lag. Mind you I do have a FTTC hookup with 100/40 speeds which makes me one of the lucky ones.
....seriously? Australia gets a whole article? I'm locked out here in Brazil as well and I have high end fiber optic internet, I could probably play it just fine if there were servers nearby
The switch is a hybrid system. Just as there are games that are best suited for mobile play, there are games that are best suited for tv mode only. No need to hate on this.
It's silly to think that there's a battle between the two, mainly because they both have their pros and cons, as well as their specific situations were one could be more convenient than the other.
Having more options in the way of gaming is always good for me.
@71nk0 In principle, I completely agree with you. I have to note however that many people on this site, including one or two of the writers, aggressively push an anti-"physical gaming" tone.
@Fandabidozi I'm assuming your beach is in Australia? If so, keep an eye on the water when you bring your Switch. I wouldn't want to contend with those morphing jellyfish crocodile sharks you guys have...
It's not just Australia. Many places in the world (including where I live) don't have access to reliable high speed internet. It took me literally 3 days to download a 14ish GB game. This is why I don't play online multiplayer either.
if you're interested in this game and have another platform other than switch then get it on that platform. Because its yours for keeps for the same money. plus you get a free update for next gen consoles too
Suprised xCloud and Stadia aren't available in Oz. Google and MS have data centers in Australia but guessing maybe the economics / infrastructure isn't right.
Yes, let's embrace a brand new way for companies to ensure that we don't actually own the products we buy, that's a good thing for consumers to do. All the "convenience" of cloud gaming buys you is an expiration date for your game, which will become unplayable when some outside entity decides to pull the plug.
Aussie internet is terrible, so thats understandable.
@EarthboundBenjy Phone with data?
Seems like the cloud based future already failed before it even began.
@EarthboundBenjy It will make sense in a 5g and beyond world as worldwide network coverage happens, Starlink once completed will be available on every inch of the planet, even in uncharted places.
I think cloud gaming as a standard is still a good 30 years off but it is the inevitable direction games are going.
Switch makes a much stronger case for cloud than Stadia. You can still buy physical and digital but where it’s technically not possible to bring the game to Switch, this is a great solution. It’s not just graphics quality, the file size of some games doesn’t make regular release practical either. Cloud on Switch solves a clear problem and I think it will do well here.
i tried to play today a fewnminutes, I felt nauseaus, is this normal?
@Bunkerneath I disagree, yeah having digital or physical games ensure that you can play your games forever, especially physical games.
It could be that the servers shut down in 10 years or maybe even in 1 years but them seems unlikely. However if you had your fun with the game was that not worth the money to begin with.
@EarthboundBenjy idk man I just wanna play in bed tbh.
Control plays really well on the switch , was expecting glitches and stuff but no it was buttery smooth and graphics were awesome.
Great stuff , looking forward to more high end games coming to switch.
I played over WiFi network at home but I'm sure it will play just as well on 5g while out and about.
Demo actually played surprisingly well. Very slight input delays, but not very noticeable. Pretty fun actually. Maybe a sale would entice me enough to throw down cash for something temporary like a cloud game.
I gave the trail a go. The delay on the controls are breaking the experience imo.
Already own this and the dlc elsewhere, but the game is good enough that I'd be tempted into getting it here just for the novelty of handheld play for the right price. That price is not $40 for a cloud based version, though.
Just my opinion, but I do not wish to see the cloud gaming model proliferate and will not participate until there is no other choice. Lending support to what seems like a convenient choice now (for a privileged few with stable high-speed internet) may very well lead to this being the ONLY choice later. Companies will take greater profits at the expense of consumers' right to actually own their purchases any day of the week.
So when this delivery method takes over and many people are inevitably disenfranchised later, it will be the consumers who enabled it and not the industry.
Cloud based games is an interesting addition to the Switch. And remember, different players, different likes. A lot of Switch owners use TV mode more than portable so it's OK with them to have a few games that they cannot play anywhere, anytime. (although I took my Switch on my local cafe and played Control just fine)
I tried graphics and it wouldn’t work then tried performance and it worked fine. I would never buy this kinda thing though on the cloud I mean. I could get it for my pc if I really wanted the game but others won’t have that option 🤷🏻♂️
@COVIDberry
Just sharks where I am and I don’t go in the water at all since I’d like to keep posting here for the foreseeable. 😰
I searched for Control in the Mexican eshop and it ain't available there either.
It’s actually not that our internet here is terrible (well, in some areas it absolutely is). At work I can get speeds of over 100Mb/s down, and at home I can up to 60.
It’s because the servers and infrastructure for cloud gaming haven’t been set up here by anyone just yet. A decent cloud gaming experience requires your connection to be somewhat close to the server it’s streaming from. More than likely the reason is because we have too small a population, on too large of an island for streaming technology to be viable here. Our land mass is almost the size of America but with less than 10% of the USA’s population.
It sucks, because I’d like to try out streaming tech. It’s really about money at the end of the day.
I'll pass America's internet is ready for this yet
Not South Africa either.
@Teksetter That thought had crossed my mind as well. I tend to assume the worst, but it is possible that the market will work itself out. If people don’t like cloud gaming that much, competition will swoop in and bring back consoles/physical media. (Or not, but if you’re not interested in paying for cloud gaming, someone, somewhere, is going to try to find something to sell you that you ARE interested in... generally.)
@deafswin37 1 GIG speeds on fiber optic networks are here and work pretty well. But yeah, not really planning to full on dive into cloud gaming either... might try it as a curiosity.
Because they infrastructure for high speed internet is really bad, add tensions with China at an all time high and no alternative sources for 5G, it looks like this will continue to be the case for a while.
Gee, guess cloud gaming is dead in the water. Nothing of value was lost.
I'm not sure if it's so much Australia's infrastructure or "botched" National Broadband Network... I was getting from the article that part of the issue is where the servers are located. So yeah, certain regional parts of Australia may not have the infrastructure yet, but a lot of more metropolitan/suburban areas are just fine. If you do ping tests to Sydney servers you're getting 10ms. If you're pinging to California, U.S. it's like 200-300ms, and the download/upload speeds are completely restricted.
When I play games with friends in Alaska, their internet infrastructure is nowhere near what New South Wales is, but because all the multiplayer servers are a lot closer to them geographically, they usually get a lot less lag and a lot more stable internet connection. I am constantly lagging or dropping out of games because I'm connected to those servers.
So perhaps if these companies were to pay to run an Australian server somewhere on the continent, the performance would be just fine.
Thank goodness I’m not interested in playing these... not my cup of tea. That really stinks for those who do though.
As an Australian, this is the exact sort of thing I'm worried about. If we normalise cloud gaming as a standard option for game releases, it leaves many consumers out. Many games that could have become ports, downgraded or not, may just get cloud releases instead and it leaves us with nothing.
@EarthboundBenjy like hiking through the woods and mountains? To a concert or bar, with friends? I take my switch out, but to work, DMV, airport waiting area/flight, hotel etc. Places where the cloud gaming would work.
@PhhhCough I was more thinking about public transport actually. Doesn't really matter though since I haven't left the house since February anyway :/
@EarthboundBenjy same here, housebound 😆😆 yeah, definitely not gonna work on public transport. Im not advocating for cloud gaming, as a sole way to game. But it's a nice accoutrement. Side dish, fries. Better to have it and not need it, etc etc. Game on, be safe.
Same experience but connection issues to their servers. Australia all gets the ass end
@PatDavisGames
It's google and other's choice not to bring their online game services to Australia - yet you blame the LNP.
You don't even know who caused this, so you blame the a political party you hate.
You prefer irrational harted over common sense and the facts it seems.
The reasons that games and services are not available in Australia is 100% due to the tech companies involved, ie Google, Microsoft and others.
The internet speeds and bandwidth required as not as high as most people think. There are a lot of people in Australia who could use these services. However the tech companies said no to this.
If you are blaming anyone else like any government or any other group in Australia for this, well that proves you don't understand who really is reaponsible for this.
@BlubberWhale I wish here in the states it was good but right now just not there yet
@deafswin37 I generally agree, but I live in Nebraska and it ran pretty well. We only got improved internet speeds in my part of the city like a couple years ago though. So yeah, very dependent on each local situation, but it is here in places.
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