OnLive, the gaming service that streams games over an Internet connection, is out in the UK today, throwing cutting-edge titles at your PC, Mac, TV, iPad or Android tablet.
When you play a game using OnLive, your in-game movements are sent to the OnLive servers over a Web connection, where muscular gaming machines do all the tricky processing bits and bobs before pinging the action back to you.
That means you can play OnLive's selection of games on just about anything with a screen, including -- as we mentioned above -- tablets such as the iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. We're told apps for both are in place and ready to go, though as you'd expect, not all games will work too well with a tablet's touch interface.
The service is free to register, then you have to start paying for the games. Right now there's a rather stonking deal on where you get your first game for a quid. Deus Ex: Human Revolution for a pound? Don't mind if we do. After that first purchase though, you'll be paying full price. Expect to fork out £35 for the blockbuster titles.
There's a subscription service too. For £6.99 a month, you can access a library of over 100 games, and BT customers will get the first three months free.
If you don't want to play games on your computer, a console that plugs into your telly can be acquired for £70 from the OnLive website. It comes with an Xbox-style wireless controller.
That's an impressive range of deals and ways to play, but this new service will have to stay versatile and cheap if it wants to trouble Sony and Microsoft's mighty consoles.
We've had the chance to go hands-on with OnLive, and our first impressions are that it's extremely cool to be able to jump in and out of different games, and playing something like Split/Second on an iPad is fairly mind-bending.
We did notice some lag though -- whether gameplay is smooth and responsive will be what makes or breaks the whole service. More testing is needed -- woe is us.
We're beavering away at our OnLive review right now, so keep it CNET UK for all the latest.
Will you sign up to OnLive? Or would you rather cosy up to an Xbox or PS3? Play around in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 8
Add your comment
anonymous 22 September, 2011 09:52
Biggest heap of rubbish ever!
I can't transfer my US account to a UK account, I never got my £1.00 first game offer, The Video / Audio is sub-par of a Playstation 2.5, and overpriced compared to the American Version...
OVERALL DOES NOT WORK WELL! FOR THOSE WHO HAVE UNDER 10MB INTERNET (I HAVE 6.5 MBPS)
anonymous 22 September, 2011 10:43
This is pretty expensive... £35 for a pc game on the free service when I could get a physical copy for £25 or less? £6.99 a mounth sounds abit more reasonable but that would depend on what 100 games were in the catalogue and if they added new ones fairly regularly but to be honest I would rather pay out £50-£100 more for a 360/ps3 and get a bluray/dvd player, video streaming abilities, music archive etc. than pay £70 for a box and have to buy a £150 bluray player or hook up the laptop everytime i wanted to watch something!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 12:27
BT Broadband customers get a 3 month free trial as well as the first game for £1. I have signed up for the free trial so lets see how it goes. This could do away with the need to take up valuble space on a hard drive and having to upgrade graphics card, processor etc.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 12:41
I still don't see how it will work for quick-reaction games like FIFA, Streetfighter, and any FPS for that matter...
When you consider that even 40ms lag is noticable, this can only be worse!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 13:02
Assassins creed 2 is £24.99 for the full pass on Onlive or just £5.16 for the actual game on amazon.
I think its far to expensive!
mystvearn 22 September, 2011 13:23
I can sell physical games when I'm done with it. Why should I pay for games which I can't sellm hogs my broadband (leading to being throtlled by virgin media) so that the processing is done elsewhere. Oh, BTW, other people need to use the internet too!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 16:30
I guess the writer didn't bother to look at the Onlive deals and discounts.
Yesterday, a 50% off discount was given to everyone for that day as a promotion for the playpack attaining 100+ games for 6.99.
Pre-order specials are constantly running for new games, which will give you a free game and/or microconsole, depending on the special. 2 full-price games for 35 is not bad.
Also, the playpack subscription gives you a 30% discount off all purchases, STACKING with other discounts. I myself purchased 4 full price games for $49.
And this is excluding the generous customer service onlive offers, replacing defective controllers and consoles with minimal fuss....and other holiday promotions meeting or exceeding steam's sales.
Also, one of onlive's games is constantly on sale up to 90% off each week for 2.33.
And I used to have a 7mbps connection and it held up just fine.
Yay misinformation and inept research...
anonymous 25 September, 2011 10:23
I think this service is astounding. I have followed it for a few years, and am amazed that not only did it not vanish off as vapourware, but it's also BLOODY AMAZING. Super quick, a minuscule amount of lag, full HD.
It's like Spotify for games. A must have surely?