Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld Review

Cloud gaming has democratized the way we play video games – instead of spending hundreds (or thousands) on a fancy console or PC, you can just stream the latest blockbuster to the phone you already have, Just on your laptop or tablet. But what if there were specially designed devices? for Cloud gaming, combining the high-quality design of the Nintendo Switch with the flexibility to play thousands of different games without long downloads and annoying updates? That’s where Logitech G Cloud comes in.

Logitech’s unique handheld is a great way to play games on services like Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now, offering comfortable, responsive controls, a color screen, and good battery life. It’s also a full-fledged Android device, perfect for downloading games from the Play Store or watching movies in bed.

But at a hefty $350 price — and many other ways to play games from the cloud — is the Logitech G Cloud really worth it? Here are my thoughts after playing with it for weeks and hours.

If there’s one area where the Logitech G Cloud has had a definite success, it’s design. Logitech’s portable gaming console feels like a cross between a Nintendo Switch and a Valve Steam Deck, borrowing the same sleek dimensions as the former while adopting the latter’s sturdier, console-like controls. Its slick directional pad, satisfyingly deep triggers, and large-faced buttons offer more comfort and precision than those found on Nintendo consoles, while its compact and familiar layout is easier to get used to than the somewhat clunky, clunky Steam Deck. It’s a lightweight device that looks and feels great, and it’s comfortable to use during long hours playing anything from frenetic action games to high-speed racing.

The G Cloud’s great design is complemented by its intuitive software, a custom version of Android 11 that offers the same controller-friendly interface found on traditional consoles. Apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, and Steam Link come preinstalled (as does the standard suite of Google services like Chrome and YouTube), and you get full access to the Google Play Store, adding as many Android games and apps as you want.

There are plenty of mundane but useful features here, such as the ability to hold down the home button to quickly adjust brightness and volume, and a dedicated Logitech button to open the main menu in most system-compatible cloud gaming apps. You can also completely remap the on-device Each button is a great boon for accessibility and simply fantastic for those who like to use unconventional control schemes.

A great gaming console is useless without great games, and luckily, G Cloud has access to a ton of them. Logitech’s handhelds let you play hundreds of games on cloud services, stream games from your PC with Steam Link, and download and play hundreds of thousands of games from the Google Play Store. It all adds up to an almost endless buffet of games, from blockbusters to must-play indies, many of which you probably already own or subscribe to.

G Cloud is primarily built to work with game streaming services like Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna, and if you only subscribe to one of those, you’ll enjoy a ton of options. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the subscription I recommend for most G Cloud owners, as you get access to hundreds of games – including Microsoft’s entire first-party catalog (meaning all Halo, Forza, and Gears of War games) Get tons of hits from franchises like Star Wars, Madden, and Battlefield for $15 a month. Amazon Luna works similarly, offering a solid selection of titles from big names like Resident Evil, Control, and Assassin’s Creed at various price tiers (including free games for Prime members).

Nvidia GeForce Now is a bit different, allowing you to stream games you own from marketplaces like Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft — though you also get access to a ton of free games like Fortnite and Rocket League. Think of it as powerful in the cloud PC, you can bring your own games to it. The service itself has a free tier, but if you want perks like better graphics and longer gameplay, you’ll have to pay $10 to $20 a month.

Don’t want to pay monthly? G Cloud also works with the Xbox, PlayStation Remote Play and Steam Link apps, allowing you to stream any game you have installed on your console or PC. The Google Play Store also offers a ton of free and premium games, including popular titles like Genshin Impact and Asphalt 9: Legends. Whether you want to stream your existing game collection remotely or just want a Netflix-style subscription, you do have a lot of flexibility here, though folks already invested in one of the aforementioned ecosystems will make good use of G Cloud .

I use G Cloud in the cloud most of the time, and it feels magical when everything works. From zipping across Halo Infinite’s expansive battlefields to slaying demonic hoards in Vampire Survivors, sometimes the system’s brilliant controls and smooth performance made me forget I was streaming those games from the internet. The handheld’s Snapdragon 720G processor also proved powerful for playing the latest Android games natively, as titles like Diablo Immortal and Rocket League Sweep ran smoothly and worked with the system’s built-in controls out of the box.

The game delivers a nice pop of color on the device’s 7-inch 1080p display (with a smooth enough 60Hz refresh rate), and the built-in speakers are loud enough to hear the action clearly. Logitech claims more than 12 hours of battery life on the G Cloud, which fits with the fact that I barely need to charge it.

I did run into a few hiccups with cloud-based and Android games, which I’ll detail below, but in the end, it’s hard not to be amazed at the sheer number of games G Cloud can play — especially since they’re so big. Most of the time it works fine.

As I mentioned above, gaming on the Logitech G Cloud feels great — when everything is normal. Just like on any cloud gaming device, whether it’s your phone, laptop, or TV, your game streaming experience is ultimately dependent on whatever Wi-Fi network you’re connected to. Even as someone who gets decent speed at home, I’ve had mixed results – for every buttery smooth Fortnite session, there’s a round of Mortal Kombat where I can barely finish my combos, or I’m struggling sluggish Need for Speed ​​sharp turns. A game like Metal: Hellsinger is all about attacking enemies to the beat of the music, and it’s almost impossible to be at your best.

While most Android games work out of the box, games like Call of Duty: Mobile didn’t recognize G Cloud’s built-in controls — forcing me to fumble through the game’s on-screen touch inputs. Also, the system isn’t ideal for playing vertically oriented games like Mario Kart Tour or Marvel Snap because you have to hold it at an awkward angle when you swipe across the screen. Finally, there’s no cellular support, which means unless you’re playing a downloaded Android game, you won’t be able to take full advantage of G Cloud when you’re outside your Wi-Fi network.

None of these are deal breakers, but they’re worth keeping in mind — especially considering G Cloud’s cost.

The Logitech G Cloud costs $350, though it’s currently on sale for $300 during the holidays. Either way, it’s prohibitively expensive for a system whose primary purpose is to stream games from the cloud — something you can already do on pretty much any device you own. The $100 Backbone One turns your phone into a mini gaming console with intuitive snap controls, offering a similar experience for less. This setup has its downsides (you’ll be gaming on a smaller screen, draining your phone’s battery and likely having to deal with distracting notifications), but it’s also more affordable.

For just $50 more than G Cloud costs, you can get the $399 Valve Steam Deck, a true portable gaming PC that can run thousands of Steam Deck games locally — not to mention via a web browser. It’s bigger and bulkier, and you’ll really want the $529 version, which has a faster 256GB SSD drive, but the Steam Deck offers a better experience for PC gamers who want to play games on the go. Unlike most other handhelds, it even comes with a carrying case!

There’s also the fact that the G Cloud costs about the same as the Nintendo Switch OLED, making it, for our price, the best portable gaming console you can buy. It has a great OLED display, a great selection of Nintendo and third-party games you can play offline, and a versatile design that can be hooked up to a TV, used as a handheld, or propped up in tabletop mode – complete with detachable controllers – for impromptu gaming sessions. You’ll get a vastly different selection of games (if you don’t like Nintendo games, the Switch isn’t for you), but I think it’s a better overall machine for the money. You can also forget about the shiny OLED screen and get the cheaper $300 Nintendo Switch, or save even more on the handheld-only Switch Lite.

On its own, the Logitech G Cloud is a great handheld console for playing cloud-based and Android games alike. It feels fantastic, has access to a ton of games and delivers great performance under the right conditions. Sure, you could stick a cheap controller on your phone and get a similar experience, but you’d have to constantly turn it on and off — and deal with draining batteries and annoying notifications. G Cloud is at your fingertips, without distractions.

Still, even at its current discounted price of $300, it’s hard to fully recommend the G Cloud to anyone who isn’t a true cloud or mobile gaming enthusiast. At its best, it’s a cheaper, more compact Steam Deck alternative that gives you access to a ton of PC and console games from your own library as well as whatever streaming service you pay for. But the G Cloud is just too expensive for what it does, and until there’s a bigger price cut, most people are better off buying a $100 super Backbone One for their phone, or going all the way to a more powerful Steam Deck for $399.