Cloud based hardware sharing?

beany_bot · 2 Aug 2017 at 08:17

Do you think in the future it will make more sense to just use some companies GPUs and CPUs in the cloud? Without having the need to own them yourselves? So like a subscription service like Microsoft Office.
You pay "x" a month and you can games at 120Hz 4K Ultra settings. By using some companies GPUs elsewhere in the world?

I kinda had this idea a while back. But it would take some setting up. And internet speeds would have to be really fast. I think it would work out a lot cheaper than having to buy your own parts. But also be kinda sad because you wouldn't have your "rig" as such anymore.

lude1962 · 2 Aug 2017 at 08:23

you can games at 120Hz 4K Ultra settings
so the video stream comes via internet?, if so 100Gb/s may be able to handle it

beany_bot · 2 Aug 2017 at 08:33

lude1962 said:
you can games at 120Hz 4K Ultra settings
so the video stream comes via internet?, if so 100Gb/s may be able to handle it

Thats the idea. I see it happening. People are much more likely to pay say $20 a month for that than shell out £600 for a GPU that will be obsolete in a couple years.

The only thing holding it back it that there will need to be GPUs that are powerful enough to run several users at once and cheap enough to buy in bulk.

Akagi · 2 Aug 2017 at 08:35

I'm pretty sure such a service already exists. Don't NVIDIA have something like it in the US/Canada?

Heisenberg · 2 Aug 2017 at 09:12

Yeah this already exists. Though internet speeds and lag are the limiting factors. I tried onlive years ago, which was a Netflix style game streaming subscription service. While functional and quite impressive, the lag killed it. Sony use the same thing for their PlayStation now service. Sure there will be others.

EsaT · 2 Aug 2017 at 19:17

Those "processing farms" would have to be located at certain distance just to prevent speed of light limit causing lag.
Even bigger problem would be lag from internet infrastructure.

Heck, they can't even make "mobile broadbands" have stable and low lag so how can you expect them to be able to guarantee ultra low lag connection?
What is considered normally good lag would make image shown on screen lag two three frames behind what's happening in game engine at 120Hz!
If "processing farm" is in other side of continent or at different continent lag would be easily half dozen frames or more.
Then add lag in getting player's input registered/processed/transferred and we're doubling that.

Considering all that Hollywood's 24 fps is enough attitude would be more approriate for such gaming...