What? You don’t have a console or your PC’s too ancient to play the ultra-high graphics of your game of choice? Well, look no further than Vortex Cloud Gaming to help you in that regard.
What Is Vortex Cloud Gaming?
In a similar vein to Google Stadia, Playstation Now, and GeForce Now, Vortex is another multi-platform cloud gaming service and application. Think of Netflix, but for games. Play games when you want to using a device that’s connected to the internet.
Requirements to Getting Vortex Cloud Gaming
Creating an account to play in Vortex Cloud Gaming is a relatively simple affair. You only need to do three things: registering to the service, paying the monthly subscription fee, and then installing both the Vortex Cloud Gaming App and the Vortex Controller App, both available on Google Play Store. We’re going to discuss the required apps, the costs of each subscription tiers, as well as the compatible devices in this part of the article.
Vortex Cloud Gaming Subscription Tiers and Costs
Vortex Cloud Gaming currently has three subscription tiers available: the Basic, the Pro, and the Ultra. Each tier has its benefits and drawbacks.
Basic Tier
The first thing they’re offering is the Basic tier. This tier gives you the ability to play on PC, Android, and macOS (but to be fair, all tiers do that). It enables HD quality gaming. However, you only have 50 hours of total playtime every month. This tier offers the least amount of games that you can play, which is round 84 games as of current writing. However, this is also the cheapest out of all the tiers here as you only need $9.99 every month to play.
Pro Tier
The Pro plan is similar to the Basic tier. It gives you the ability to play on PC, Android, and macOS. With HD to full HD quality gaming, Pro gives you the chance to play all 181 games in their library. You also have an increased playtime of up to 80 hours of total playtime every month. If you’re looking to peruse and play all of Vortex Cloud Gaming’s games and still save a few bucks, then you might want to get the Pro. It costs $19.99 every month.
Ultra Tier
Now, we’re gonna talk about the crème de la crème: the Ultra tier. This tier has everything the Pro Tier has but boosted. Your total playtime for all the games in their library has nearly doubled to 140 hours every month. Now, for some people, 140 hours may seem a bit much. But for gamers? This might not be enough. After all, if you’re playing Dota or League of Legends, you might lose track of time. And with the current stay-at-home regulations keeping everyone inside… Those 140 hours might fly like Link on a bounced shield on BotW. Vortex also plans to add other plans to their subscription list but there’s no word from Vortex on when these tiers will be released, so just stay tuned.
Licenses
First of all, you can’t play ALL of the games on Vortex. Yes, yes it’s a pain. But there’s a reason for this. Vortex doesn’t have the license for all of the games in its library. Games like PUBG, the Borderlands series, Monster Hunter World, Rainbow Six Siege, and more are licensed to their publishers. Meaning you need to own the said game on another platform like the PS4 or PC if you want to play it on Vortex. You will find a “Needs License” tag on a licensed game in Vortex’s library, which means you can’t play them unless you have purchased it in another platform.
Required App
Vortex Cloud Gaming has an app version that’s available for free on Google Play Store, as well as Mac and Windows. You can download all three programs on their website here.
Compatible Devices
As stated, Vortex Cloud Gaming is available for Android, Windows, and Mac. It’s available for all smartphones with Android 5.0 or later, Windows with Windows 10 or later, and Mac with macOS 10.13 or later. Also, to enjoy the best experience with Vortex, make sure your internet connection will be able to support cloud gaming. The recommended internet speed is 10 Mbps. 5Ghz Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE are highly recommended for stable wireless connection. For a more stable experience, close all apps or programs on your device and let your phone dedicate its resources to your gaming.
How Do You Use Vortex Cloud Gaming?
Well, there are several methods that you can use Vortex Cloud Gaming and these are divided into the three. These methods correspond to which device you’re using it on.
For PC and macOS
Download and Install Vortex Cloud Gaming
First of all, like many cloud gaming services, you need to have a browser for it to integrate. As per usual, Google Chrome is a great browser to pick for this. Simply download the app onto your PC and then select it. It’ll then automatically integrate itself with Google Chrome.
Register on the Vortex Website
Now that you’ve installed Vortex on your browser, it’s time to register. Go to Vortex.gg and register for their service. You just need to provide the required information about yourself.
Pay for the Subscription
Next, it’s time to pay the subscription fees. The fees are already mentioned in the “Subscription Tiers and Costs” part of the article. So pick which of the three you fancy.
Choose a Game to Play
Run your browser of choice, and go to the Vortex game website to browse the available games. As mentioned, Google Chrome is the best choice of browser for Vortex Cloud Gaming. Log in on their website, then go to their games library to select your game of choice.
Play on the Browser
The game of your choice will then load itself on your browser. Do note that you’ll need at least 10 Mbps of connection speed to completely enjoy your game as even a slight dip in the connection can cause lag.
For Android
Meanwhile, there are a bit more hoops to jump for playing on Android compared to PC and macOS. After all, playing in a portable format requires some sacrifices. Still, it’s a doable option and can be done after a few steps.
Register and Pay for the Subscription
If you haven’t registered to Vortex yet, do so first. Just like with using it on PC and macOS, Vortex Cloud Gaming on Android requires an account and subscription. Make sure that you have also subscribed to the appropriate subscription plan.
Download Vortex Cloud Gaming App
Now, Vortex Cloud Gaming is available for download on both Google Play Store and their website. Do note, however, that if you download from their website, you’ll get an apk file that you need to install on your phone.
Download Vortex Controller App
An unavoidable thing about playing games on Android smartphones is the lack of a controller. Luckily, Vortex has also released a Controller App that you can start at the same time as their Cloud Gaming App to give you a screen controller for the games you play. Simply download the said app from Google Play Store.
Run Vortex Cloud Gaming and Choose a Game to Play
Run Vortex Cloud Gaming on your smartphone, and make sure that Vortex Controller is also running in the background. And then, log in. After logging in, you now can choose which game on your subscription you wish to play from their 181 game catalog.
What’s in the Vortex Cloud Gaming Catalog?
Vortex Cloud Gaming has around 181 Games in their catalog right now. And while it looks like that’s a lot, it’s not that many when you compare to how many games there are on Steam’s Marketplace (over 23,000 games already). So 181 games are just a drop in the ocean. But if you’re curious about what games are there in Vortex Cloud Gaming’s catalog, well, here they are.
Vortex Cloud Gaming: Available Games
A
Albion Online (Available for all Subscriptions) Alien Rage – Unlimited American Fugitive American Truck Simulator (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Anarcute Ancestor’s Legacy – Complete Edition Angelo Skate Away Apex Legends (Available for all Subscriptions) Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 Asterix & Obelix XXL 3
B
Batman – The Telltale Series (Available for all Subscriptions) Beast Quest Bendy and the Ink Machine Blameless (Available for all Subscriptions) Bomber Crew Borderlands 2 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Borderlands 3 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Brawlhalla (Available for all Subscriptions)
C
Carcassonne Civilization V (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Codex of Victory Control (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Creativerse (Available for all Subscriptions) Criminal Minds Crusader Kings II (Licensed) Cry of Fear (Available for all Subscriptions) Cuisine Royale (Available for all Subscriptions) Cuphead (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
D
Darwin Project (Available for all Subscriptions) Dauntless (Available for all Subscriptions) DC Universe Online (Available for all Subscriptions) Dead by Daylight (License) (Available for all Subscriptions) Death Track: Resurrection Deceit (Available for all Subscriptions) Deep Sky Derelicts Degrees of Separation Destiny 2 (Available for all Subscriptions) Devil’s Hunt Disco Elysium (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Doodle God, Kingdom & Mafia Doom (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Dota 2 (Available for all Subscriptions) Double Dragon Trilogy Dungeon Rushers Dying Light (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
E
Enemy Front Epistory – Typing Chronicles Estranged Act I (Available for all Subscriptions) Eternity: The Last Unicorn Ethan: Meteor Hunter Euro Truck Simulator 2 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) EVE Online (Available for all Subscriptions) Evoland Evoland 2 Expendabros (Available for all Subscriptions) Extinction
F
Fall of Light Fallout 4, 76 & Shelter (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Far Cry 5 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) FIFA 20 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Finding Teddy Fishing Planet (Available for all Subscriptions) For the King Fortnite (Available for all Subscriptions) Freight Tycoon Inc. Fruits of a Feather (Available for all Subscriptions)
G
Garfield Kart God of Light: Remastered Golf Peaks Grand Theft Auto V (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Gravel Guild Wars 2
H
Haimrik Half-life (Available for all Subscriptions) Half-life 2 (Available for all Subscriptions) Hospital Manager Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard Hue Human Fall Flat Hunter’s Trophy 2 – Europa Hunting Simulator
I
In Fear I Trust Infinium Strike
J
Just Cause 3 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
K
Kill the Bad Guy King’s Bounty: Armored Princess, Crossworlds, Dark Side, The Legend, and Warrior’s of the North Kingdom Two Crowns
L
League of Legends (Available for all Subscriptions) Left for Dead 2 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Life is Strange (Available for all Subscriptions) Lords of the Fallen
M
Magibot Magic: The Gathering Arena (Available for all Subscriptions) Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Meltdown Men of War: Assault Squad Men of War Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Minecraft (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Monster Hunter World (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Moto Racer 4 MotoGP 19 Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
N
NecroVision NecroVision: Lost Company Neverwinter (Available for all Subscriptions) No Man’s Sky (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Nomad (Available for all Subscriptions)
O
Off-Road Drive Override: Mech City Brawl
P
Paladins (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper Path of Exile (Available for all Subscriptions) Paws: A Shelter 2 Game PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG) (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
Q
Quantum Replica
R
Revanfield (Available for all Subscriptions) Realpolitiks Renoir Resident Evil 2/Biohazard RE:2 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Resident Evil 3 (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Rise of the Tomb Raider (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Road Rage Rocket League (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions)
S
Serial Cleaner Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Shadow Warrior (Available for all Subscriptions) Shape of the World Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Smite (Available for all Subscriptions) Sniper Ghost Warrior 1, 2, and 3 SNOW (Available for all Subscriptions) Space Rangers: Quest Steel Rats Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Subject 13 Syberia 3
T
Team Fortress 2 (Available for all Subscriptions) Teamfight Tactics (LoL TFT) (Available for all Subscriptions) Tempest: Pirate Action RPG The Descendant The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) The Forest (Available for all Subscriptions) The Golf Club 2 The Sims 4 (Available for all Subscriptions) The Watchmaker The Way of Life Free Edition (Available for all Subscriptions) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Through the Woods Ticket to Ride Toki Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Tower Unite (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) Trailmakers (Available for all Subscriptions) Turmoil – The Heat Is On Tyler: Model 005
U
Unknown Fate Unturned (Available for all Subscriptions) Uurnog Uurnlimited
V
Very Organized Thief (Available for all Subscriptions)
W
War Thunder (Available for all Subscriptions) Warhammer: Chaosbane When Ski Lifts Go Wrong Whispers of a Machine White Night Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem (Licensed) (Available for all Subscriptions) World of Tanks WRC 7: FIA World Rally Championship WRC 7: FIA World Rally Championship
Missing AAA Games
Vortex Cloud Gaming currently doesn’t have all of the games that one might enjoy. Some notable games that might not be there at the catalog would be:
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Dark Souls 3 Red Dead Redemption 2 Alien Isolation Overwatch Doom Eternal God of War The Uncharted Series Dragon Ball FighterZ Tekken Series Injustice 2 Soul Calibur VI
Why?
There are many reasons as to why Vortex can’t stream these games to your PC or console of choice. But the most likely reason would be that they did not acquire the license or permission to host these games. After all, you, the player, gives preference to cloud gaming services that has the game you want at a cheaper price. That effectively circumvents the whole shebang of buying the game. And this typically gets game publishers and developers in somewhat of a tizzy. That, or the game is new and they want to milk the profit for all its worth (look at recent releases like Doom Eternal).
Vortex Cloud Gaming vs Other Cloud Gaming Platforms
As of right now, Vortex Cloud Gaming cannot compare with others in terms of the number of games in their library. Services like PlayStation Now, GeForce Now, and Project XCloud have more games. However, in terms of affordability, Vortex has some advantage with their monthly basic plan of $10, the same as PlayStation Now’s subscription costs. However, they’re still pretty iffy on that front as PlayStation Now gives you access to all of their games at $10 a month while GeForce Now only costs a monthly subscription of $5. But hey, it is still better than Google Stadia, right?
