Control

Here in the west, it seems cloud gaming is now a thing on Nintendo's hybrid device. As you might have heard, a cloud version of Control got a surprise release on the Switch eShop this week and more games - like Hitman 3 - are on the way.

While it might be better than nothing, there are admittedly some setbacks and it seems we're still discovering them by the day. Compared to cloud offerings on other platforms, on the Switch with a game like Control - you're asked to buy it and well, you'll never actually have ownership of it, just access to a licence in order to play it.

So what happens if the servers go offline? Our very own Gavin Lane couldn't help but notice some fine print on the game's page over on the Spanish eShop (the last bullet point in the image below, to be precise). This is also on the screen you get after trying the demo out and before purchasing the game. Here's what it essentially translates to:

“In the event of the service finishing, we’ll inform you at least six months in advance.”

Nintendo Life IMG
Image: Nintendo Life

So, according to this - if Control is going to be pulled from the Switch, you'll apparently be notified "at least" six months ahead of time. It's yet another reminder of what you're locking into if you do purchase the cloud version of Control on Nintendo's system and likely any other cloud game released on it in the future.

Another setback of cloud gaming, as we highlighted earlier this week, is that it's not even supported in certain regions around the globe yet - meaning some gamers are locked out completely. In saying this, there are a lot of pros that come with this tech, which you can read more about in our full-length feature.

It's one thing buying a digital game and losing access to the download, but what are your thoughts about buying a cloud game (rather than say a subscription) and potentially losing access to it altogether? Tell us what you think down below.