It’s true that dual-booting Windows is always a possibility – and every once in a while, some kind publisher such as Blizzard will release a title for PCs and Macs simultaneously. But let’s face the reality. Despite years of hype from Apple, Mac gaming still sucks.
Thankfully, that’s all about to change. Thanks to a new video game on demand service called OnLive, Mac users will soon be able to stream high quality, GPU-intensive Windows games straight to their lowly MacBooks, Eee PCs, or even their television.
As GameSpot reports from the 2009 Game Developers Conference, the new service (which is set to go live in 2009), will allow Mac (and PC) users to stream high-quality games to their home computers, so long as they have at least a 1.5 Mbps internet connection.
The games themselves will be hosted on OnLive’s servers and served up via the magic of cloud computing. Users can use their keyboards and mice or plugin controllers to play. OnLive plans on upgrading their servers seamlessly behind the scenes, so gamers will always be able to play the latest and greatest games years into the future.
For those worried about latency, Kotaku has a hands-on report, and they seem excited. OnLive has the potential to change not just Mac gaming, but the PC gaming community as a whole.
And watch out, Nintendo — OnLive will also sell a minimal box that connects to a television set, meaning that the service may make home consoles obselete. With commitments from EA, Ubisoft, Take-Two, and others, OnLive is definitely a company to watch.