Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld: Tablet with fixed controller for game streaming
Logitech presented its G Cloud gaming handheld in Berlin and I have already been able to stream and test some games.
Deep down, the G Cloud Gaming Handheld is an Android tablet with a permanently installed gamepad. Logitech wants to use it to offer a terminal for streaming games. I was able to get my hands on it the day before the official presentation and play a bit with it.
Games from the cloud
Logitech is partnering with Tencent, Microsoft and Nvidia, among others, for the G Cloud Gaming Handheld. While Nvidia and Microsoft are bringing their paid streaming services Geforce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming to the tablet, Tencent's contribution remained unclear - or is only relevant for China and therefore not visible on the devices on display.
With the G Cloud Gaming Handheld, you can not only stream games from the cloud, but also from your own hardware - currently via Steam Link and Xbox Remote Play. Plus, you can install games (and apps) from the Play Store, so you get at least a little native gaming.
Small display between the controllers
The screen of the G Cloud Gaming handheld is seven inches and has a full HD resolution and a refresh rate of 60 hertz. Doesn't sound like much in gaming terms, but it fits the best possible values you'll currently get in game streaming. The brightness of the LCD panel, at 450 nits, is in the range of cheaper smartphones. But as a pure WLAN device, the gaming handheld is not necessarily intended for playing in the sunshine.
There is an analogue stick and a directional pad to the left of the display, and another analogue stick and four letter keys to its right. Two shoulder buttons sit on the left and two on the right at the top corners. The G Cloud Gaming Handheld feels comfortable in the hand and the arrangement and assignment of the buttons seems familiar to me from the Xbox and Switch controllers. Depending on your own preferences, you can also customise the button assignment.
However, my first impression was that the transition from the right analogue stick to the letter keys was not optimal. My thumb stumbled more often in the process. A point to check in the detailed test. I was also confused by the fact that I could not exit a game in Xbox Cloud Gaming using the buttons and joysticks alone. I had to start an onscreen menu on the touchscreen. In contrast, I went directly to the start screen via the Home button.
An older mid-range smartphone
By streaming games, the gaming handheld doesn't need particularly powerful hardware. The built-in Snapdragon 720G, for example, is in mid-range smartphones from 2021 like the Samsung Galaxy A 52 and A72. Unimpressed by this, the streamed games ran smoothly and with short loading times. The internet connection is probably more important, and here the gaming handheld left a good impression, despite Wi-Fi 5.
Logitech does not disclose how much RAM is available and how much internal memory is available. The latter value would not be completely irrelevant, as games can be installed from the Play Store.
The streaming of the games means that the gaming handheld does not require any special cooling. It weighs a total of 463 grams and should not become too heavy even over longer periods of gaming. Logitech specifies a battery life of twelve hours. The battery should be fully charged in 2.5 hours via the USB-C port. You can also use the jack to connect headphones. Alternatively, a 3.5 mm connector and Bluetooth 5.1 are available.
Price and availability
Logitech plans to start selling the G Cloud Gaming Handheld in the US on 17 October 2022. Depending on its success, other markets will be added, with cloud gaming availability and usage playing an important role in the selection of additional countries. As a rough guide, in the US the gaming handheld will cost $350.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.