With Google Stadia presenting its streaming gaming service as the first serious contender in such a market, many have wondered whether it could pose a threat to traditional gaming hardware. While it is doubtful at this point in time, it certainly provides a worthy alternative option and can find success in carving out a piece of the market pie for particular types consumers who may benefit from it.

There are a host of gamer types that Google Stadia and other streaming services can benefit, and it could also have an influence on the demand for certain specifications in hardware which the market may cater to. The first and most obvious type of gamers who may benefit from streaming services such as Stadia are those who may want to play with a mouse and keyboard or non-standard controller, as they may not want to spend the money on powerful computer hardware or upgrades. Also, streaming gaming can also benefit those who are traveling and want to pack lightly, as there would be less bulkiness involved.

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Furthermore, streaming gaming could change the gaming hardware paradigm in the long run. Traditionally, the video card has always been the main piece of hardware in which a PC gamer invests their hard earned money into. However, if streaming gaming catches on with enough players, then a new gaming hardware race could follow, with the competition raised a few notches for companies to produce top of the line gaming monitors.

This could lead to two different gaming hardware markets in the future, with traditionalists focused on video cards, and streaming gamers fixated on monitors with the best HDR, resolution, and overall specifications. This could also offer more alternative choices in how consumers choose laptop hardware. Affordable gaming laptops tend to be much more bulky and heavy. While there are slimmer options among the business notebook ranges that can also provide similar power, the costs usually reach over $2,000 for such a purchase.

google stadia

In other words, to fit that kind of power into a smaller design, there is a higher price to be paid. Streaming gaming could allow consumers to focus on slimmer laptops which may not be focused on particularly high power, but may have  higher resolution 4K screens in the $600-1,000 range of ultrabooks or even chromebooks. This will allow PC players to obtain their gaming fix while having maximum mobility with the lighter range of laptops and top of the line screens.

If Google is correct in its market assessment that internet service providers will adapt to a new status quo presented by a streaming gaming market, then there may be more investment in decreasing latency times instead of the primary focus being bandwidth speeds. This could also include more focus on new wireless technologies.

Latency will clearly be one of the number one hurdles Google Stadia and other streaming services will need to overcome throughout the next few years. However, with enough consumer demand, the desire to overcome these obstacles may also fall on internet service providers to satisfy gamers, and not just Google and streaming service providers.

Latency issues will make it difficult to completely replace or compete with traditional consoles, such as the PS5 and Project Scarlett which are slated for next year. They are still focused on traditional gaming hardware, and it is doubtful that there's a paradigm shift within that gaming infrastructure in the short run. Many of those who can easily afford expensive video cards and prefer to play on desktops will continue to do so.

AMD and nVidia clearly are not going anywhere, though, but there is one particular paradigm within these marketplace forces in which streaming gaming may compete with traditional gaming hardware. That may be the next big race to reach 8K resolution within games, without slowdown. Google has already stated that its Stadia service will eventually support 8K resolution in the long run, so it will be interesting to see whether traditional hardware or streaming services can successfully tackle 8K resolutions first.

Streaming gaming will likely provide more options and inclusiveness to different consumer types with diverse needs over the coming years. It will also likely create new marketplaces within the gaming industry by which companies will be vying for dominance to best service the demands of these particular types of consumers. While services such as Google Stadia may not overtake the gaming market, they will likely provide more options and diversity within the market.

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