Nintendo Switch and his game in the cloud

Hearts of Iron (abbreviated HOI) is a four-part collection in The second world war Global Strategy Games, which appeared until now for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. The developer Paradox Interactive also describes the category as a Grand Approach. The very first part appeared in 2002 in North America as well as 2003 in Europe, the next standard parts released in 2005 and also 2009. The fourth part appeared on June 6, 2016. In the games, the gamer assumes one of over a hundred countries, which existed at the time of World War and also leads them via the war.

Nintendo introduced us to the fighter who will complete the template of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch, 2018). A surprise and a good choice: SORT of the saga Kingdom Hearts. A beloved character among the players who brought us a story more: the video games in this series will soon arrive at Nintendo switch. Something foreseeable that will end up launching at the console best-selling throughout the year at Japan but not so much the way they will do it. We will not see a physical or digital release but in the cloud. A cloud version not very well-received for a large part of the community.

Nintendo Switch already has some games like this, the Kingdom Hearts saga will not be the first, but it is not a well-known option among users. Great features, it works as Google Stadia : Our switch serves as a link between remote servers that operate the game and the screen. The console replicates a signal that is sent from the cloud, so it does not matter your hardware. Here what we should take into account is a good Internet connection.

To clarify that we do not talk about a cloud service as a subscription similar to PlayStation Now but to acquire a game that we can only play through streaming. Nor is it a rent because the game will remain in our library, although we can not execute it without an Internet connection. A mode of sale that generates a bit of uncertainty because when the servers disappear will be, in theory, impossible to play the game. In addition, we must always have a good internet access point and taking into account the portability of Switch this can be an inconvenience.

The one in charge of inaugurating the game in the cloud in Switch was SEGA with fantasy star online 2 in 2018 but only for Japanese console accounts. The infrastructure of the Japanese country in terms of connections has more stability than in Spain, and we could consider it as an experiment. Shortly after Cap com decided to upload Resident Evil 7 to the cloud for switch and, too, only for Japanese users but in this case it was a rental because for 2000 yen we could access this version for 180 days. This does not reach the graphic quality of the versions of PS4 or Xbox but moves stable at 720p in addition to being responsible for testing the acceptance of this type of business in the Nintendo console. The same did Ubisoft with assassin's creed odyssey in this format but here the game was left in the console library.

To Europe the first cloud version, which came to us was Hitman 3 In early 2021, and now it's the turn of control ultimate edition — cloud version from which we have tried your free demonstration. With our 300 MB fiber optic Internet and the console connected through Wi-Fi we have not had slowdown or the feeling of being playing through streaming. Very good work in this regard on the part of UNITS, those in charge of this conversion. If we have doubts about the response of our connection to the cloud game we have the option to test for 10 minutes the game. This will help us to decide whether to buy it or not. If yes, we can do it through the SHOP of Nintendo Switch for 40 euros. As we have said, control ultimate edition — cloud version is not saved in the memory of our console. We have the game, but we can only enjoy it through the Internet.

The graphics have a greater definition that most games executed natively on switch and there are barely falls of Frames. As for the gameplay, the answer is fast, and we have not noticed input lag (the time it takes to reflect the action since we press the command button). We can also choose in the game between performance mode for more unstable connections or the graphic to enjoy greater resolution. This begins to be a habitual practice in the new generation games. The general feeling that provokes us is the same as if the game was playing from a switch cartridge. You do not notice just the difference and this is a good thing.

The next games in joining these versions in the cloud will be the main Kingdom Hearts Saga: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind. It can be purchased separately or in a compilation called Kingdom Hearts Integral Masterpiece for Cloud. Square Enix has not yet communicated when we can do it or the price to which they can be purchased at the Nintendo Shop. Expanding the catalog of a console is always good news but maybe this saga so popular should have had another type of launch, in physical or digital, to reach a wider audience. Nintendo Switch has shown with conversions such as Doom Eternal or The Witcher 3 that you can run games that need a lot of performance at Hardware level, so this can not be the excuse.

The game in the cloud is still taking off and in a Nintendo console we consider it a whole novelty. Being able to enjoy games that need many technical requirements without taking into account the system that executes them opens up a whole universe of possibilities. In spite of this, it is subject to an excellent Internet connection and this is its main inconvenience. Prices may seem a bit tall for a video game that runs from a remote server and can not be able to enjoy it in offline switch is something that the consumer should value before acquiring it. Important to know that a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online is not necessary to play these cloud version.

Maybe games as popular as the saga Kingdom Hearts help to extend the game in the cloud among switch users. And this would open the door to more game conversions that need more power to run. Services like what Google Stadia offers us have had relative success. But Nintendo always follows a path something different from the rest: the cloud games for switch are not a service in streaming of large collections but the individual payment for each of them and that happen to be part of your collection. It is the step beyond the digital purchase and maybe the future.