What you need to know
- Facebook is adding free-to-play cloud-streamed games to its Gaming tab.
- Facebook's free-to-play cloud games are launching in beta on Android and the web initially.
- You will not require any controllers or special hardware to play the games.
Facebook today announced the launch of several new cloud-streamed games that users can now play in the Facebook app on Android and the web. Unlike Google's Stadia or Amazon's Luna, however, it's not a standalone cloud gaming service.
Starting today, Facebook users in certain parts of the U.S. can find new free-to-play cloud-streamed games in the Gaming tab. The initial lineup includes Asphalt 9: Legends, Mobile Legends: Adventure, PGA TOUR Golf Shootout, Solitaire: Arthur's Tale, and WWE SuperCard. Facebook says it will be adding more games, including Dirt Bike Unchained, in the coming weeks.
Jason Rubin, VP of Play, Facebook, wrote in a blog post:
*We believe in the long-term future of cloud gaming, but we aren't going to try to wow you with the wonders of our data centers, compression algorithms, resolutions, or frames per second. Cloud game streaming for the masses still has a way to go, and it's important to embrace both the advantages and the reality of the technology rather than try to oversell where it'll be in the future. *
To deliver a more engaging gaming experience, Facebook is also rolling out player names and gaming-themed avatars, which you can use instead of your full name and profile picture. Developers will be able to enable cross-play between the cloud-streamed and downloaded versions of their game by integrating Facebook Login for Gaming.
Facebook is also "blurring the line between games and ads" with cloud playable ads, building on its HTML5 playable ads format. The new format allows users to instantly try a game.
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