OnLive MicroConsole review

[zerocool84]

Have at it:

Controller flakiness aside, I have to say that I consider the OnLive MicroConsole (and its controller) to be a pretty fantastic piece of hardware. It's instant-on and relatively quick to get into games, the navigation's snappy and, as hard as it has been to believe, the picture quality from a normal viewing distance is largely superb.

So, here's the deal. When (and if) you buy the MicroConsole, you're basically paying for the controller (first-party PS3 and 360 pads run $50-60) and the included "free game" voucher (another $50). Do I feel that it's worth that nigh-hundred bucks? Yes. The real validity of the purchase -- and the platform -- actually hangs on the content and the ability of OnLive to, for lack of a better way of saying this, stay in business. The software library as it stands today could definitely be more impressive, and it can be tough to go on assurances that hundreds of games are on the way. More than that, though, there's being willing to put your faith in OnLive that you'll be able to pay it $50 for a game and still be able to play it years from now. If OnLive goes away, so does that game (and any others you've bought). It's just the nature of the business model.

Being an optimist, I'm going to consider a future where OnLive is alive and healthy, in which case I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the MicroConsole to those who don't already have an HD console, aren't keen to play the games the service offers via PC/Mac, or are PC gamers who have grown just plain tired of upgrading for each major new release. There's something kind of magic about OnLive, and now with this impressive hardware, it will hopefully start to get some recognition from the masses. And that, dear Readers, can only help stave off my "the games are gone!" doomsday scenario.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/18/onlive-microconsole-review/

 

[gorcorps]

Very cool. I've trialed the service a bit with the PC version and it was okay. If the lag is similar to the PC version then shooters would be pretty awful to play, but things like Batman and Assassin's Creed are slow enough that any lag isn't noticeable. If it's better though then it can be a pretty solid product. You can play with a controller OR keyboard and mouse combo, all with just a TV.

This part of the review is odd though:
"you're basically paying for the controller (first-party PS3 and 360 pads run $50-60)"
Makes it sound like you can use PS3 and 360 controllers which I don't believe is true.

Anyway, good to hear it's working pretty well. I was worried it'd be a total POS.

 

[zerocool84]

Very cool. I've trialed the service a bit with the PC version and it was okay. If the lag is similar to the PC version then shooters would be pretty awful to play, but things like Batman and Assassin's Creed are slow enough that any lag isn't noticeable. If it's better though then it can be a pretty solid product. You can play with a controller OR keyboard and mouse combo, all with just a TV.

This part of the review is odd though:
"you're basically paying for the controller (first-party PS3 and 360 pads run $50-60)"
Makes it sound like you can use PS3 and 360 controllers which I don't believe is true.
Anyway, good to hear it's working pretty well. I was worried it'd be a total POS.

According to Engadget you can:

The company won't be selling extra pads until December 1st, the day after the system ships, but you can also plug in any old mouse, keyboard or gamepad (including an off-the-shelf Xbox 360 controller) into two front-facing USB ports and start playing right away.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/onlive-microconsole-official-at-99-we-go-hands-on/

 

[gorcorps]

Interesting... Thought I'm not sure if the PS3 controller would work. AFAIK it's bluetooth only and no data goes through the cable, only power. I could be wrong on that front too though.

 

[zerocool84]

Interesting... Thought I'm not sure if the PS3 controller would work. AFAIK it's bluetooth only and no data goes through the cable, only power. I could be wrong on that front too though.

A wired third party one would probably work.

 

[Queasy]

Here's the list of controllers that the OnLive MicroConsole supports.

In addition, we support these gamepads:

• Microsoft® Xbox 360® Controller for Windows
• Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows (requires the Microsoft Wireless Gaming Receiver)
• Logitech® F510
• Logitech ChillStream™
• Saitek® P3200 Rumble Pad
• Mad Catz® GamePad

Link

Supposedly they are trying to add up to 50 more games by the end of Christmas and are going to announce a monthly subscription plan that gives unlimited access to games. How much and how many games remains to be seen.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

It's an intriguing idea, but I'm a gamer who likes his physical media. Also, watch out for your ISP's hidden bandwidth caps.

 

[AstroManLuca]

It might be a good option if you don't have a console or gaming PC, but the idea of paying basically full retail for games that you don't even have a copy of (not even a digital copy) and then a monthly fee on top of that rubs me the wrong way. And I'm totally fine with Steam. Probably because I'm confident that if Steam were to ever shut down, I'd still be able to play my games.

Well, that and the whole issue of input lag.

 

[Queasy]

It might be a good option if you don't have a console or gaming PC, but the idea of paying basically full retail for games that you don't even have a copy of (not even a digital copy) and then a monthly fee on top of that rubs me the wrong way. And I'm totally fine with Steam. Probably because I'm confident that if Steam were to ever shut down, I'd still be able to play my games.

Well, that and the whole issue of input lag.

They got rid of the monthly fee. It's now free. You just have to pay for the game.

They are going to announce an "all you can eat" monthly subscription fee later though were you won't have to purchase the games individually.

 

[AstroManLuca]

They got rid of the monthly fee. It's now free. You just have to pay for the game.

They are going to announce an "all you can eat" monthly subscription fee later though were you won't have to purchase the games individually.

Ah. Guess I need to catch up!

Seems that plan is the best way to enjoy OnLive. Buying games with the service just seems too risky to me. But if you're basically just renting them it is a lot more attractive. Like Gamefly except you don't have to wait forever to get your next game in the mail.

 

[DivideBYZero]

DOUBLE LAG!

caps.

 

[Yoshi629]

It's an intriguing idea, but I'm a gamer who likes his physical media. Also, watch out for your ISP's hidden bandwidth caps.

Me too. My ISP already has a bandwidth cap in place of a few GB per month, so, just like Netflix, it will not work for me .

 

[R Nilla]

I'd like to give the MicroConsole a try but not enough to cough up $100 at the moment. I haven't logged on to the PC service for quite a while now but it seemed decent enough back when I did. There was a bit of input lag but mostly I didn't like how compressed the stream was given that I have a 20Mbps connection.

They are going to announce an "all you can eat" monthly subscription fee later though were you won't have to purchase the games individually.

This could be pretty cool depending on what "back-catalog and indie games" means and what kind of selection they have. The Netflix model seems to make the most sense for this kind of service. I can't see myself ever purchasing a PlayPass through OnLive.

EDIT: "Newer games will continue to be a la carte."

 

[ImpulsE69]

So this is like the PSPGo w/o the Go(and w/o even having a local copy of the game to play). Fail. As novel an idea as it may sound, the games better be way cheaper than $10 less. This is worse than Steam in that if their servers are down for whatever reason, maintenance, power, etc you can't play. Period. On the other hand, what the hell kind of systems are they running this stuff on and whats the scalability like? Suppose it takes off can they handle 100's of thousands of simultaneous users?

As for the reviewer, why would you test/review something that is clearly bandwidth dependent on something that 95+% of the population doesn't even have close to having?

 

[gorcorps]

As for the reviewer, why would you test/review something that is clearly bandwidth dependent on something that 95+% of the population doesn't even have close to having?

The fuck do you expect him to do? Call up a different ISP to setup a SLOWER connection just to review it on a connection closer to this magic average that you've made up on the spot? Get over it.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The fuck do you expect him to do? Call up a different ISP to setup a SLOWER connection just to review it on a connection closer to this magic average that you've made up on the spot? Get over it.

So, what, are you trying to say I'm wrong? Just say it, then post 'accurate' numbers.

**Here let me help you:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/broadband_speeds_around_the_world.php

Looking at data from the third quarter of 2009, content delivery network Akamai just announced that the average broadband speed in the U.S. declined by 2.4% in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter in 2008. In the U.S., Delaware currently leads with 7.2 Mbps, though it remains far behind South Korea, where the average speed is almost 15 Mpbs. Currently, the U.S. is in 18th place, far behind Japan, Hong Kong, Romania and Sweden. The average U.S. broadband speed is currently 3.9 Mbps

Sorry, not trying to gank thread, however the success/failure of this device largely hinges on bandwidth or lack thereof

 

[Queasy]

So this is like the PSPGo w/o the Go(and w/o even having a local copy of the game to play). Fail. As novel an idea as it may sound, the games better be way cheaper than $10 less. This is worse than Steam in that if their servers are down for whatever reason, maintenance, power, etc you can't play. Period. On the other hand, what the hell kind of systems are they running this stuff on and whats the scalability like? Suppose it takes off can they handle 100's of thousands of simultaneous users?

They have datacenters located throughout the United States to handle the games.

You need at least a 5mbps down connection for TVs 40" or larger. 4mbps for 30"-40" and 3mbps for everything under 30".

This is pretty much where gaming is going. There's already a competitor called Gaikai who just went into beta. Steam will be expanding their cloud service, Microsoft is big on the cloud and I fully expect them to head that direction for gaming.

Won't happen overnight but it will take over in about 10 years or more with initial services offered in the next 5.

 

[mmntech]

They have datacenters located throughout the United States to handle the games.

You need at least a 5mbps down connection for TVs 40" or larger. 4mbps for 30"-40" and 3mbps for everything under 30".

This is pretty much where gaming is going. There's already a competitor called Gaikai who just went into beta. Steam will be expanding their cloud service, Microsoft is big on the cloud and I fully expect them to head that direction for gaming.

Won't happen overnight but it will take over in about 10 years or more with initial services offered in the next 5.

The problem is bandwidth fir consumers, they're already slapping strict download caps on US consumers. It will be a very costly way to game for the foreseeable future.

 

[Queasy]

The problem is bandwidth fir consumers, they're already slapping strict download caps on US consumers. It will be a very costly way to game for the foreseeable future.

That's something that will be worked out eventually. All these companies wouldn't be investing the money they are if they didn't expect it to be.

 

[ImpulsE69]

They have datacenters located throughout the United States to handle the games.

You need at least a 5mbps down connection for TVs 40" or larger. 4mbps for 30"-40" and 3mbps for everything under 30".

5.

Now this is indeed interesting. Why would the bandwidth requirement be different based on screen size? I would assume the resolution is the same regardless (1080p) so wouldn't it be sending the same amount of data no matter if you're using a 20" or a 50"?

Also, I'm not sure exactly how much bandwidth it actually uses, but does this also mean no one else can use your internet connection while someone is playing a game or you'd get hella lag? Just too many scenarios where I see it not being very viable until everyone has 100mbit lines directly to their house.

 

[zerocool84]

You guys need to remember that this is for people who have no console or gaming PC. It allows them to play the latest games without needing to buy the latest system. I think it's a great start. Sure it's no perfect but I can see this being great for many people that don't want to spend the money on a gaming PC or modern console.

 

[mmntech]

That's something that will be worked out eventually. All these companies wouldn't be investing the money they are if they didn't expect it to be.

Oh of course it's the future of gaming, and internet access will get better. It's just that North American ISPs have been very slow to upgrade their infrastructure, and that faster internet comes at a huge monthly premium. It can be done with today's tech, it's just going to cost a bundle.

 

[lothar]

You guys need to remember that this is for people who have no console or gaming PC. It allows them to play the latest games without needing to buy the latest system. I think it's a great start. Sure it's no perfect but I can see this being great for many people that don't want to spend the money on a gaming PC or modern console.

Can it run Crysis?

 

[manimal]

If everyone lags and they get a nice mouse/controller smoothing effect at least the landscape will be even..


this would be perfect for BLoBs since you can play parts of the game without shooting...


Hack and slash, sports, 3rd person games should run fine...I would be intrigued if the company starts to make money within 3 quarters..

 

[Jules]

Interesting... Thought I'm not sure if the PS3 controller would work. AFAIK it's bluetooth only and no data goes through the cable, only power. I could be wrong on that front too though.

Data goes through the cable as i used it on my pc before.