Cloud gaming remains kind of a nebulous time period withinside the gaming world, at the same time as most important corporations like Xbox and Nvidia retain to put money into its technology. But Logitechs brilliant G Cloud Gaming Handheld console (to be had at Amazon for $349.99) has come alongside at precisely the proper time to assist convey the platform into the mainstream. Its no Deck or Switch replacement, however it`s an brilliant cloud gaming accomplice for PC and console gamers, alike.
Cloud gaming at the Logitech G is honestly an tremendous experience.
With the G Clouds dependable and speedy net connection, you wont have the ability to inform the distinction among gambling video games withinside the cloud and on a nearby tool. Its greater snug to keep than the Steam Deck, its battery lifestyles is to a few instances longer than different predominant hand-held consoles, and it runs on Android so its additionally a completely practical pill. It`s honestly one in every of my favourite handhelds.
About the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (SD720G) Octa-Core as much as 2.3GHz
Memory: 64GB ROM
Display: 7-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD 16:nine ratio, IPS LCD, 450 nits, 60Hz, Touchscreen
Connectivity: Bluetooth five.1, three.5mm headset jack, USB-C, MicroSD
Battery: 23.1 watt-hours, 12+ hours of gameplay
Dimensions: 10.eleven x 4.sixty one x 1.30 inches
Weight: 16.three oz
Warranty: 1-yr restrained
The Logitech G runs on Android OS and is derived with Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and a bunch of Google apps preinstalled. (It can run Google Stadia too, however Stadia won`t be round a good deal longer.)
The console additionally capabilities as a ordinary Android pill, because it has a hint display, and some thing you could down load from the Google Play Store may be established in this tool. This console commonly costs $350, however in case you pre-order from Logitech or Amazon earlier than 10/17 you could get it for $300.
What we adore
Great overall performance over 5GHz Wi-Fi and 5G
A hand-held gaming console displaying net down load pace on its display
Credit: Reviewed / Joanna Nelius
The Logitech G helps as much as Gigabit Wi-Fi speeds (WiFi five).
When the Logitech G has get entry to to a big quantity of bandwidth (50Mbps or greater) gambling video games on it appears like gambling a recreation downloaded to the Steam Deck or another hand-held console. Response instances are brief and snappy. Movement is clean and precise. Loading instances also are speedy.
Competitive gamers have to stay with gambling video games the conventional way (on a nearby machine) due to the fact there may be usually much less latency as compared to cloud gaming. But for the informal player, even in case you recreation 10-20 hours every week, the overall performance is indistinguishable from gambling domestically at the Steam Deck, Xbox, or maybe a PC.
Incredible battery lifestyles
Logitechs new console boasts 12-plus hours of battery lifestyles, relying on how frequently you play, display brightness, and quite a few different elements that vary from gamer to gamer. Thats a good deal longer than the Nintendo Switch (4.five to 9 hours), Nintendo Switch Lite (3 to seven hours), and the Valve Steam Deck ( to 4 hours).
I spent every week the use of the Logitech G, gambling a variety of video games with various ranges of graphical constancy like Stardew Valley, Dragon Age Inquisition, Cyberpunk 2077, Banjo Kazooie, Death Stranding, Escape Academy, and Powerwash Simulator, and after approximately 4-five hours of playtime, the battery turned into most effective at 50%.
I turned into gambling at a 1080p decision with the photos cranked to their most preset, too. (You can most effective try this with Nvidia GeForce Now, now no longer Xboxs cloud gaming service.) Its honestly top notch to look how simply how a good deal greater battery lifestyles you could get from a gaming tool with the aid of using most effective gambling video games withinside the cloud.
Large 1080p show
Im now no longer even mad the Logitech G doesnt have an OLED show, due to the fact each recreation I attempted on it appears stunning. The shades pop. The black ranges don`t have a grey haze over them, so the evaluation appears high-quality. It additionally has a bigger show decision than the Steam Deck (1280 x 800) and all the Nintendo Switch fashions (1280 x 720).
The Logitech Gs show is a good deal large than your fashionable Android or iPhone show, that's high-quality for gambling video games like Dragon Age Inquisition, Cyberpunk 2077, and others which have small or squished UI textual content over cell. Its simply appropriate sufficient so human beings like me who put on glasses can genuinely see the phrases at the display, and actually have an simpler time selecting out enemy NPCs from a long way away.
Super snug to keep
A hand-held gaming console displaying a recreation on its display
Credit: Reviewed / Joanna Nelius
The 7-inch display is simply big sufficient to make the UI textual content in positive video games like Dragon Age Inquisition simpler to read.
For all my raving approximately how terrific Valves Steam Deck is to keep, Logitech steps up the consolation component with the aid of using a sizeable quantity. Even aleven though each have the identical show size, the Logitech G console is an inch shorter than the Steam Deck and weighs 16.three oz as compared to the Decks 23.five oz.
The ends additionally have large, rounded grips that comply with my small palms, and they’re textured to assist keep your grip. The Steam Decks hand grips aren't textured, and all of the Nintendo Switch fashions dont actually have ergonomic hand grips, which reasons my arms to capture up after gambling for longer durations of time. I did now no longer have that problem with the Logitech G. My arms and arms felt as refreshed after hours of playtime as they did after I first picked up the console.
My one, tiny criticism is the Logitech Gs button format. Yes, its a fashionable Xbox format, however I select how Valve placed the thumbsticks at once to the aspect of the D-Pad and ABXY buttons. I actually have quick thumbs, so the Steam Deck`s format permits me to transport from the thumbsticks to the D-Pad/ABXY buttons with out moving my grip at the console itself.
Thats now no longer the case with the Logitech G, however despite the fact that I do need to shift my grip barely from the thumbsticks to the buttons, it doesnt extrade how snug it is.
What we dont like No Wi-Fi makes it actually 1/2 of as beneficial Without net get entry to to attach you with the cloud gaming platform of your choice, the Logitech G turns into a fancy-searching brick. Yes, you could pass into pill mode and get entry to video games youve downloaded and established at once at the garage pressure, however the range of PC and console video games which have been ported to Android isn’t always almost as sturdy as the entirety that`s to be had thru GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass.
There`s additionally an exceptionally restrained quantity of bodily garage area withinside the Logitech G—64GB. Games like Grand Theft Auto Vice City and Dead Cells absorb more or less 1.5GB each, so that you may not run out of area proper away, however you may want to be sensible with what video games and apps you put in domestically beyond a positive point. Cloud gaming gets rid of that fear.
Something just like the Steam Deck, which has as much as a 512GB garage pressure, is a good deal greater beneficial in locations like an plane or a cabin withinside the mountains—everywhere Wi-Fi is spotty or non-existent. Same with the Nintendo Switch, or another hand-held gaming console designed to put in video games domestically. But as soon as that garage is maxed out, you`re accomplished until you uninstall video games. Cloud gaming receives rid of that problem.
No cell records chip
A white hand-held online game console displaying a online game with plenty of items on display
Credit: Reviewed / Joanna Nelius
Given that the Logitech G plays properly over a cell connection (in case your telecellsmartphone can create a five.0GHz Wi-Fi hotspot), its a ignored possibility now no longer to permit game enthusiasts absolutely untether from their phones. As formerly mentioned, having a devoted cloud gaming hand-held console saves the battery lifestyles to your telecellsmartphone (and also you wont need to fear approximately your telecellsmartphone overheating), however the use of your telecellsmartphone as a 5G hotspot for lengthy durations of time will nonetheless drain its battery quicker than normal.
Theres much less gain to including a cell chip to a cloud gaming tool than there may be to some thing just like the Apple iPad; the iPad doesnt want the identical quantity of bandwidth the Logitech G does because its number one use isn’t always cloud gaming. And no matter Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all marketing and marketing their 5G records plans, insurance isn`t identical in all areas, nor do the ones businesses have the identical 5G speeds.
For instance, my residence is simply too a long way farfar from any 5G towers to get the whole advantages of T-Mobile`s insurance, however if I pressure 5 miles to my favourite espresso spot in an adjoining city, I get high-quality insurance. But cloud gaming overall performance will tank if there are too many human beings the use of cell records withinside the identical spot; I sat in a espresso store and watched this manifest in actual time with the post-paintings rush.
The Logitech G could had been towards the appropriate cloud gaming tool with a cell option, and I wouldn`t need to rate my telecellsmartphone as frequently. Chalk this con as much as me being nit-choosy due to the fact that is an in any other case wonderful tool.
Its clean to mistake latency for controller problems This is a flaw thats greater inherent to cloud gaming on a hand-held tool, whether or not that tool is the Logitech G or your Android or iPhone with a controller attached—however if shopping for this tool can be your first time attempting cloud gaming, it`s clean to mistake latency or lag for controller drift.
If you`re gambling a recreation even as tethered with low bandwidth, it’ll take longer in your inputs to tour out of your telecellsmartphone to the cloud servers in any other location, after which again in your telecellsmartphone withinside the form
