Shadow’s new cloud PC subscription could make expensive upgrades a thing of the past, letting you rent access to a top-spec gaming rig in the cloud – and play on it from just about any PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone. We’ve tested Shadow out, and here’s what we think so far.
How would you like to play the latest AAA games on max settings, wherever you are, without spending hundreds on a console – or thousands on a high-spec PC? That’s exactly what Shadow, the first project from French startup Blade, claims to offer.
In brief, the new subscription service lets you rent a high-spec PC remotely, which you can then access from any PC, Mac, tablet, or phone – or the optional extra Shadow box. You can use that PC to play any of your own PC games – or just, y’know, use it as a PC. It’s up to you.
We got the chance to test Shadow out in a briefing ahead of the service’s UK launch, and here’s what we thought. We’re also running a competition to give away three free months of the service – head here to enter to win Shadow for yourself.
Shadow: Price and availability
Shadow first launched in France in 2017, picking up more than 15,000 subscribers by the end of the year. The company is now expanding rapidly to other markets.
The UK is first, with a full launch on 26 January. The US is coming later, thanks to the need to build local data centres, but a beta is beginning in California from 15 February, with plans to expand across the continent by the summer.
As for cost, make no mistake, this isn’t cheap – but it’s still a lot less than buying your own high-spec machine. The cheapest subscription is £26.95 per month for a one-year commitment, with the price rising to £32.95/month for three months, and £39.95 for one month at a time. You can sign up directly from the company’s website.
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