It seems like portable gaming is all the rage at the moment. The popularity of the Nintendo Switch has yet to die down and you still can’t get your hands on a Steam Deck. There are a lot of new competitors entering the handheld market and they all have their unique gimmicks and features, but Logitech is entering the game with something a little different. During Twitchcon, Logitech had a ton of different hardware on display, but you know we had to get our hands on their new Logitech G Cloud gaming console.
As the name alludes to, the Logitech G Cloud is a cloud gaming device. It sports a Snapdragon processor, 64 gigs of internal storage, and a large 1080p display. This is built on top of the Android OS so you will be able to download apps and games from the app store. It feels great in the hand and is exceptionally light since it doesn’t have the same internals and cooling as something like the Steam Deck.
There are some pluses and minuses to a device like this. As I stated before, the Cloud is light because this is mainly a cloud device. The trade-off is you have limited cloud services like G Force Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. When you are not connected to Wi-Fi, you can use the Cloud as a tablet and utilize the apps you are able to download. 5G is built into the device but you are limited to tethering through your phone. You will be able to upgrade the storage via a microSD slot but again, this is a cloud-focused device so you won’t be able to run too many large games.
The Logitech G Cloud felt really really good in my hands and Xbox Cloud Gaming was the perfect companion. I love my Backbone controller for my iPhone but the larger controller and screen combo gives a totally different experience. The triggers and thumbstick feel great but if you are a competitive player, you may still want to play with a controller and/or play on a console.
The Logitech G Cloud gaming console is going to be for a person with specific needs. This is the perfect device for someone who is in a space where access to a console while in the home is not always available. Even though the device is ultra-portable and light, the need for a hotspot or tethering can make this a bit restrictive to some. I had a great time checking out the Logitech G Cloud and everything felt great in that controlled environment but similar to playing the Nintendo Switch undocked, it won’t make sense for everyone. This is an accessory for your other devices and at $349.99 ($299.99 if you are/were able to preorder), the pricing is not as prohibitive as some of its competitors.
Overall, this is a great product and if it makes sense to add to your collection, I’d say it’s a definite buy. I look forward to seeing what features will be added to future iterations.
