Review: OnLive Android app - the future of video games?

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OnLive's app allows their on-demand video game service to function through any Android device

OnLive's promise of instant access to current-gen games on Android works so well, it's astounding

With OnLive, the games are all in the cloud and available whenever you want them, along with all your game data and save files

OnLive's promise of instant access to current-gen games on Android works so well, it's astounding

With OnLive, the games are all in the cloud and available whenever you want them, along with all your saved games and files

OnLive's touchscreen controls mean much of the screen is obscured during play

OnLive's navigable menu design

OnLive's app can provide you with hundreds of console quality games faster than any other video game distribution system on the market

OnLive's "Brag Clips" for showing off to friends

A player shares a brag clip from Just Cause 2 on OnLive

Micromanaging units in a real time strategy game while trying to pan over the battlefield is incredibly tricky using touch controls

Split Second is just one of the games available to gamers nearly instantly using OnLive

Playing a driving game is almost impossible with the touch controls

Defense Grid Gold, available on OnLive

Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7, available on OnLive

OnLive's quick access even applies when watching "Brag Clips" other players have posted and spectating someone else's game

Lego Batman, available on OnLive

Article Summary

A while back, OnLive released an app that allows its on-demand video game service to function through any Android device. While the service has been around awhile for use with computers and TVs, what makes the app unique is its ability to deliver games usually reserved for consoles and gaming PCs to many tablets and smartphones. The app could effectively turn any smart device into a portable game console that streams games like Netflix streams movies. That's all great as a concept, but the big question is how well it actually works. After spending some time with OnLive's app, it's clear that it isn't going to replace your console or gaming PC anytime soon, but it does offer a glimpse at the possible future of video games.