EA announces cloud gaming technical trial

Electronic Arts is to launch a cloud gaming trial as part of a technical test of its Project Atlas technology.

In a Medium post, Ken Moss, chief technology officer at EA, called the closed trial an important milestone in the company’s journey towards a future where its players “can engage and enjoy anytime, anywhere, and on any device”.

Featuring FIFA 19, Titanfall 2, Need for Speed Rivals and Unravel, the trial will be focused on cloud gaming on PC. Players can register here for a chance to participate.

The trial is designed to measure how EA’s games perform in real-world conditions, including unstable bandwidth and network strength, and to test the technical functionality of cross-play, with cloud gaming trial participants able to interact with the PC players on Origin, and cross-progression.

“One of the most exciting parts of cloud gaming will be the ability to deliver full-scale HD games to any device a player wants to use, such as a smart TV, OTT streaming devices, PC or Mac laptops, tablets, and smartphones,” Moss said.

“This means that you would be able to stream a Madden HD game directly to the smart TV in your living room, or even in a hotel room if you’re traveling. You could even also continue same session on the go, right on your smartphone.”

Moss added: “The bottom line is this. Cloud gaming is coming. It’s no longer a question of if, but when. It’s still really early days but we’re excited to take this next step in our learning, and it’s great to be able to do it with some of you in our community.

“This is about enhancing the quality of our games and services for a cloud powered future. So if there is an opportunity to elevate the experience and inspire more people to play, we are going to explore it.”