JioGamesCloud is now available for early beta access for everyone. Announced three years ago at a Reliance AGM event, the Indian cloud gaming service is trying to bring high-quality titles to its platform, including the likes of Saints Row IV, Kingdom Come Deliverance and more. While fair enough, most of its programming is unreleased in mobile titles. Interested users can sign up for the JioGamesCloud beta program and test games from their catalog, the JioGames Android app, their web browsers and the JioFiber set-top box. Games are available to play instantly with no downloads, installations or updates required.
Just like any other cloud gaming service, load times and performance are entirely dependent on your internet connection. Gadgets 360 tested it on an Android phone, a Windows laptop and a MacBook Air – and it worked reasonably well at 16mbps with full-HD 1080p graphics. JioGamesCloud is currently available for free, even those with an Airtel or Vi phone number, we found out. Though later we would expect it to be blocked by a signature. It might work on a recurring monthly subscription similar to the Xbox Game Pass that comes with Cloud Gaming, though not in India. In 2020, Reliance Jio confirmed that it was working with Microsoft to bring its Project xCloud gaming service to India, although it has not spoken about the matter since.
JioGamesCloud controller support
On an Android device, JioGamesCloud works similarly to most phone-based titles, featuring on-screen controls that can be expanded via a Bluetooth controller. Meanwhile, the desktop version of JioGamesCloud features a keyboard and mouse setup with added controller support. Gadgets 360 tested the PS5’s DualSense and the Xbox Wireless Controller that shipped with an Xbox Series X. Both worked – though the D-pad didn’t work either, and the configuration of the DualSense controls was unusual and couldn’t be changed. The JioGamesCloud FAQ section on the official website notes that you would “need a game controller (Bluetooth or wired) connected to your set-top box [and the JioGamesNow app to play on your television].”
How to play on JioGamesCloud
Platform login requires a phone number and there is no need to be a Jio SIM card as we noted earlier. The hardware specs are also limited, simply requiring a “stable internet connection”, although it recommends running titles on Google Chrome for the “best gaming experience”.
Games on Android would run over a 5G or Wi-Fi connection, with support running on devices ranging from Android 5.0 to Android 12.0. On mobile, JioGamesCloud is included as a new tab in the JioGames app, listing its limited library sorted by genres. My brief playtime with Kingdom Come Deliverance and Saints Row IV on Android was plagued by screen freezes and crashes when a new animation loaded. However, this only seems to be the case with heavier AAA titles, as I found less intensive games like Ben 10 running smoothly. It’s also worth noting that JioGamesCloud is currently in beta.
On PC, however, performance was much better, albeit not considerably. In Saints Row IV, I encountered some input lag and a slight stutter that became super noticeable when moving the camera. The game was evidently running at the lowest possible settings – and the graphics settings are inaccessible on both Android and PC, prohibiting you from fiddling with presets to get the best possible frame rate. Kingdom Come Deliverance, on the other hand, combats the lag issue by incorporating motion blur, which was rather nauseating for my taste. It would have been great if I could narrow it down just a little bit.
JioGamesCloud will bring Nvidia GeForce Now
For now, the game library on JioGamesCloud is quite limited, although it plans to “keep getting richer” over time. Reliance has also apparently teamed up with Nvidia to bring GeForce Now via JioGamesCloud, as confirmed by a support team member on the official Discord channel. The claim is bolstered by a leaked screenshot of the decoder version, which features a GeForce tab listing titles like Watch Dogs 2, Destiny 2, and Trackmania.
JioGamesCloud game library
As of right now, there aren’t many AAA or known options other than a few listed below:
JioGamesPlay is now available for free in early access on a desktop browser, the JioGames Android app, and the JioFiber set-top box. It is expected to be a subscription-based offering once it leaves beta testing. While there’s no word on a full-scale release, a member of the Discord support team has hinted that it could happen in January 2023.