Cloud Gaming: The New Frontier in Smart TV Entertainment

by Mark Donnigan at NETINT Technologies Inc.

As technology advances, cloud gaming redefines how people access and experience video games, especially through smart TVs (CTV). With the promise of transforming nearly a billion smart TVs into gaming portals, cloud gaming is quickly becoming a disruptive force in the industry. This article dives deep into the nuances of cloud gaming on smart TVs, exploring the technical challenges, infrastructure requirements, and game design considerations necessary for success. Drawing insights Vesa Jutila of Return Entertainment shared on episode 36 of the Voices of Video, we’ll explore how engineers and entertainment platform developers can optimize cloud gaming for the CTV platform and target a wider audience than ever before.

The Potential of Cloud Gaming on Smart TVs

The shift to cloud gaming represents an enormous opportunity for the gaming industry and smart TV manufacturers. Unlike traditional gaming, which requires expensive consoles or gaming PCs, cloud gaming removes barriers to entry by enabling users to play games directly on their smart TVs. Leveraging existing devices like smartphones as controllers, cloud gaming can reach a massive casual player demographic that isn’t looking to invest heavily in gaming hardware.

The current market includes roughly one billion smart TVs worldwide, making them ideal hosts for cloud gaming. These TVs have long replacement cycles, so users are not pressured to upgrade hardware, as with consoles or PCs constantly. The smartphone-smart TV pairing also offers a convenient, affordable entry point for casual gamers who value simplicity and accessibility over high performance.

Components of a Successful Cloud Gaming Platform

For cloud gaming on smart TVs to succeed, a few essential components must be considered, including accessibility, game design, technical infrastructure, and content strategy. Each plays a critical role in creating a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience.

1. Platform Accessibility

Lowering the barrier to entry is crucial for cloud gaming’s mass adoption. Unlike traditional gaming, which requires specialized hardware, cloud gaming enables players to use devices they already own. Users can connect their smartphone as a controller by simply scanning a QR code displayed on the smart TV screen, allowing for a quick and easy setup.

Using smartphones as controllers removes the need for dedicated game controllers, which can be a significant hurdle for casual players. The simplified physical setup and mental shift make players more likely to engage in a game if they can use familiar devices. This quick-start approach aligns well with the casual gaming demographic, which values convenience and ease of access.

2. Game Design for Cloud

Due to latency concerns, traditional games built for consoles or PCs may not adapt well to cloud gaming since latency is an inherent factor where player response is crucial. Latency-tolerant games, such as turn-based, tactical, or puzzle games, offer an optimal experience on cloud platforms. These games allow players to enjoy a seamless experience without needing split-second reactions. 

Integrating smartphones as controllers also enables unique game mechanics and second-screen interactions. For instance, players could manage inventory or access maps on their smartphones while the main game unfolds on the TV. This approach adds depth and engagement, creating a distinct gaming experience that sets cloud gaming apart from traditional console gaming.

Cloud-specific monetization strategies, such as free-to-play models with in-game purchases or video ads, can be incorporated into these games. This design choice makes cloud gaming more sustainable by providing recurring revenue streams without relying on upfront hardware purchases. By crafting games tailored to the cloud environment, developers ensure a positive user experience that encourages repeat engagement.

3. Technical Infrastructure and Cost Efficiency

A significant challenge in cloud gaming is delivering high-quality, low-latency experiences while managing bandwidth and computing costs. Infrastructure optimization is vital to sustainable and scalable cloud gaming on smart TVs. The optimal resolution for cloud gaming is 1080p at 30 frames per second (FPS), which maintains quality without overtaxing bandwidth. Many smart TVs can upscale this resolution to 4K, maintaining visual fidelity while reducing the load on streaming servers. Moving the resolution from 1080p to 720p for games with high action while doubling the frame rate is an additional option.

Dynamic buffering and proprietary streaming protocols are also essential for ensuring smooth gameplay. With these technologies, streaming platforms can maintain quality and reduce latency even on less-than-ideal network connections. Such adaptive technologies are vital for managing the various network speeds and conditions that users may encounter.

Many platforms rely on public clouds, like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or decentralized GPU clouds, allowing dynamic scaling to meet demand. This approach enables platforms to scale up during peak times and down during low-traffic periods. As cloud gaming platforms mature, dedicated infrastructure, such as video processing units (VPUs) or graphics processing units (GPUs), further improves cost efficiency and enables up to 200 gameplay sessions on a single server without sacrificing performance. For more information, check out our cloud gaming application page.

4. Content Strategy

A well-defined content strategy is essential to the success of cloud gaming. Unlike video streaming, where a single file is delivered, games require complex interactions between the player and the server, which must be optimized for the cloud environment. Cloud gaming platforms need high-quality, engaging games to attract and retain users.

Ad-based monetization is a powerful tool for cloud gaming, especially for casual players who may not be willing to pay upfront. Video ads can be displayed between game levels or as optional rewarded videos, generating revenue without interrupting gameplay. Additionally, positioning games directly within the smart TV’s app store provides easy access for users, placing cloud gaming alongside streaming apps for other types of content. This native integration allows platforms to reach a wider audience who might not otherwise seek out gaming experiences

Overcoming Challenges in Cloud Gaming Infrastructure

While cloud gaming offers promising opportunities, it also faces technical challenges that engineers and developers must address. Bandwidth utilization, latency reduction, and infrastructure scaling are critical to a successful gaming experience.

Bandwidth Management

One of the main challenges in cloud gaming is the required bandwidth. High-resolution streaming demands significant bandwidth, increasing costs, and potential network instability, where a dropped frame at that crucial moment could make the difference between winning or dying (in the game). Platforms can address this by optimizing streaming settings, such as adaptive resolution scaling and AI upscaling technologies that enhance visual quality without requiring a native 4K rendering and delivery.

Further, AI-powered upscaling in many CTVs allows cloud gaming services to stream in 1080p, letting the smart TV upscale the video to 4K. This approach reduces the strain on infrastructure without compromising visual quality, providing an optimized experience for players while managing costs.

Latency Mitigation

Latency is critical in cloud gaming, especially for genres requiring rapid player response. For games that are more forgiving to control response delays, strategies like adaptive buffering can mitigate latency by introducing slight delays that smooth out network fluctuations. Designing games specifically for latency tolerance, such as turn-based or tactical games, helps ensure a stable and fun player experience on cloud platforms.

Another strategy is implementing predictive algorithms that anticipate player actions, reducing the perceived lag by preparing game responses in advance. Although predictive modeling is challenging, it has the potential to significantly improve latency-sensitive cloud gaming experiences.

Scalable Infrastructure

Cloud gaming demands flexibility in resource allocation, especially during peak usage. Decentralized GPU clouds provide a scalable infrastructure that allows platforms to expand or contract as needed. This approach is essential for managing costs and ensuring consistent performance across traffic levels. In the long term, dedicated infrastructure, such as NETINT’s Quadra VPUs, offers scalability and efficiency. By optimizing encoding and rendering processes, dedicated VPUs can increase the number of concurrent gaming sessions, making cloud gaming more sustainable. Figure 1 illustrates the offloading of graphics rendering to the GPU, leaving video encoding tasks to the VPU

Leveraging Smartphones as Controllers: Lowering Barriers to Entry

Cloud gaming’s integration of smartphones as controllers is a revolutionary development that lowers entry barriers for casual players. By enabling users to scan a QR code on their TV screen, platforms allow instant smartphone connection, turning it into a fully functional game controller. This setup eliminates the need for dedicated controllers, significantly lowering costs and simplifying the gaming experience.

Using smartphones also enables innovative game design possibilities. Developers can create games where the smartphone screen functions as a secondary interface, offering unique gameplay mechanics that enhance user interaction. For example, the smartphone might display inventory or additional maps, while the primary gameplay occurs on the TV screen. This multi-screen experience enhances engagement and keeps users immersed in the game.

Additionally, by deploying web apps rather than native apps for the smartphone controller, platforms can simplify access and reduce setup friction, enabling players to jump into games with minimal effort.

Future Technologies Shaping Cloud Gaming

Several emerging technologies are poised to enhance cloud gaming, making it more cost-effective and high-quality.

• Adaptive Buffering: By integrating adaptive buffering, platforms can maintain smooth gameplay despite minor network disruptions, ensuring players experience uninterrupted sessions.
• AI Upscaling: AI-driven upscaling technology allows platforms to reduce bandwidth by streaming in lower resolutions, which smart TVs upscale to near-4K quality. This reduces infrastructure demands while maintaining impressive visuals.
• Dedicated Encoding Solutions: Implementing dedicated encoders, such as NETINT’s VPUs, can optimize the rendering and encoding tasks, increasing server efficiency and supporting more gaming sessions per server.

Cloud Gaming’s Role in the Future of Entertainment

Cloud gaming on smart TVs is set to redefine gaming by making it more accessible and engaging for a broad audience. Engineers and developers play a vital role in this transformation, tackling infrastructure, latency, and game design challenges to build sustainable, scalable platforms.

To get started in cloud gaming on TV:

1. Adopt a “Player-First” Approach: Design games for casual players, making gameplay accessible using smartphone controllers.
2. Optimize Infrastructure: Balance GPU and encoding efficiency to minimize costs while maintaining high-quality streams.
3. Create Cloud-Native Content: Build games specifically for cloud platforms, incorporating latency-tolerant mechanics and dual-screen experiences.
4. Leverage Dynamic Streaming Technologies: Use AI upscaling and adaptive streaming technologies to reduce network dependency and ensure smooth gameplay. WebRTC and QUIC are excellent distribution protocols for cloud gaming platforms.
5. Collaborate for Content and Licensing: Establish partnerships with popular game developers to ensure an appealing, diverse game library.

With the right technology and strategic approach, cloud gaming on smart TVs can become a mainstream entertainment option, transforming how we engage with games in the living room.

Schedule a meeting here if you’d like to learn more about how NETINT VPUs can contribute to efficient, scalable cloud gaming solutions. You can also reach out here to connect directly with Vesa Jutila from Return Entertainment and discover how cloud gaming is evolving.

Those interested in sharing insights or exploring cloud gaming trends should consider applying to be featured on Voices of Video.

Mark Donnigan

is a veteran of the video ecosystem, working with disruptive innovation companies like NETINT to increase video codec standards and streaming video technology adoption. In addition to working at the forefront of building one of the world's first T-VOD services and driving early HEVC and AV1 adoption, Mark Donnigan contributed actively to the development and growth of the digital locker initiative, Ultraviolet, breaking device-based content walled gardens, allowing consumers to enjoy video on any device, any time, and in any location. As a technologist and ecosystem developer, Mark's work building cloud-deployed and hyper-scale WebRTC, live, metaverse, and cloud gaming applications gives him a unique view of the OTT and video streaming landscape.

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