Microsoft is poised to launch its sport streaming service, delivering high-end titles direct to telephones - and Google already gives an equal service.
Cloud gaming guarantees top-tier graphics and efficiency with out the costly {hardware} - with no extra huge updates or downloads.
But some research suggests it may very well be extra damaging to the planet.
One current research from Lancaster University estimated that if avid gamers moved to streaming over the subsequent decade, carbon emissions may rise by 30%.
What's the issue?
Instead of getting a high-end PC or video games console within the residence, cloud gaming platforms run the software program from a distant information centre.
All the graphics and sounds are streamed to a TV or cell system over the web. It's interactive - so in contrast to video streaming, these graphics and sounds are tailor-made to every participant.
And the web itself makes use of a variety of energy.
"There are a lot of things that have to spring into action," explains Mike Hazas, one of many Lancaster University researchers.
Home wi-fi routers are simply step one, and we will not see most of it: the road nook communications alternate, miles of fibre-optic cable, core community infrastructure and - in the end - the information centre.
All instructed, it entails "hundreds of computers, probably thousands", says Mr Hazas.
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The Lancaster University research regarded at three situations - one the place streaming stays area of interest, as now, a center floor, and one the place 90% of avid gamers find yourself steadily switching to streaming over the subsequent decade.
After the decade-long transition, they estimated emissions could be 30% increased per 12 months from 2030 within the high-streaming state of affairs in comparison with a low-streaming one.
Such estimates are a matter of debate, and a few teachers instructed the BBC the assumptions for some figures used are too excessive. The Lancaster crew additionally tried to offset the emissions tally by accounting for the carbon financial savings of fewer plastic consoles being manufactured - one other tough estimate.
They additionally level out that their assumptions are primarily based on sport streaming at trendy commonplace 720p and 1080p resolutions.
"If streaming at 4K resolution becomes widespread, then it may well be game over," the research warns.
Power up
"Despite the images of invisibility and purity conjured up by the word 'cloud', it is in reality populated with intense amounts of energy-using hardware," says Evan Mills, who headed up the Green Gaming undertaking on the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
And whereas his assumptions in 2016 had been completely different from the Lancaster crew, Mr Mills did come to comparable conclusions.
Mr Mills had two situations - one during which solely 20% of gaming was accomplished utilizing a cloud by 2021, and one other the place 75% of gaming time was streamed.
The cloud gaming state of affairs would use 17% extra power total, he concluded.
For instance, a 10-watt streaming system - like a media stick plugged right into a TV - can use an additional 520 watts of energy within the community and information centre - making the whole higher than native desktop PCs, Mr Mills' crew discovered.
In addition, a console, on common, makes use of 156% extra power when cloud gaming in comparison with native gaming - and way over watching a movie on a video stream.
They estimate roughly 300 watts of energy is used within the information centre, and about 182 watts are spent on all of the web infrastructure within the center - for each related gamer.
"Cloud-based gaming is by far the most energy-intensive form of gaming via the internet," the crew concluded.
Fair climate
There are arguments in favour of cloud gaming, nonetheless.
Gamers may use lower-powered, extra energy-efficient gadgets at residence, since all of the heavy lifting is completed in an information centre. And fewer consoles being manufactured means fewer in landfill on the finish of their helpful lives.
There are additionally no discs to make, and the price of transporting them to bodily shops vanishes.
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Digital sport downloads have already been changing bodily copies over time - however they've a number of the similar issues as streaming.
"Download sizes actually give streaming a run for its money," Mr Hazas says.
Some widespread titles are greater than 100 gigabytes in measurement - a protracted and power-hungry obtain course of that streaming doesn't require.
At decrease resolutions "it might be in some cases actually be better to stream", he provides.
Carbon impartial?
Microsoft says its cloud gaming servers "are more power efficient than a standard home console" and highlights that every server is shared by a number of customers "which creates significant energy reduction".
Google says its information centres - resembling those that run its Stadia gaming product - are twice as power environment friendly as the typical information centre.
And each say all their information centres are carbon impartial.
Being carbon impartial is a fancy subject, however most main firms obtain it by shopping for carbon credit - investing in "green" initiatives to offset their emissions.
Shadow, a French agency which supplies customers with absolutely practical Windows PCs that they'll entry by the cloud, stated it was very conscious of the potential environmental influence.
But "overall, we are convinced that our model is much more sustainable than the old one, in which we multiplied devices that were always more rapidly obsolete," a spokesman stated.
Big information secrets and techniques
Researchers doubt the effectivity good points in information centres are sufficient to offset the power calls for of sport streaming - however admit they do not know precisely how the within of company information centres work.
"A lot of stuff is secret," Mr Hazas says "so these things are really hard to model".
But issues might but enhance. The Lancaster research acknowledged that it can not predict what energy-efficient know-how may lie forward.
"There is a protracted historical past of detractors spinning factually incorrect tales concerning the web's power use.
"But it is also the case that enhancements in effectivity have been offset by elevated web site visitors," Mr Mills explains.
That is the chance - and the issue - for a cloud gaming future: extra demand means extra stress on the community, and any effectivity good points should enhance on the similar tempo.