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The popularity of the Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck is giving rise to yet another cloud-based gaming handheld in the very near future. Logitech announced the “G Cloud Gaming Handheld” set to arrive in North America on October 17th.
Interestingly, Logitech is taking a different approach with its handheld focusing heavily on cloud gameplay whereas competitors like the Steam Deck focus more on offline gameplay. It’s a gamble that just might pay off as Logitech has enlisted a who’s who of streaming partners and battery life that puts both the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch to shame.
5 Quick Facts about the Logitech G Cloud
- The Logitech G Cloud will be available on October 17th from Logitech’s website.
- Pre-order pricing is available at $299.99 while regular pricing will be $349.99 after October 17th.
- The G Cloud runs on the Snapdragon 720G processor.
- GeForce Now and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass are preloaded so you can instantly start playing, assuming you have subscriptions to both.
- For now, the G Cloud is only available in white.
Logitech G Cloud Specifications
| Release Date | October 17, 2022 |
| Price | $349.99 ($299.99 pre-order) |
| Processor | Snapdragon 720G |
| Internal Memory | 64GB (expandable microSD slot) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.1AC, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2×2 MIMO |
| Battery | Up to 12 hours |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headset jack, dual microphones with echo canceling and noise suppression |
| Display Size | 7” (diagonal) |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 IPS LCD (16:9 ratio) |
| Display Brightness | 450 nits |
| Dimensions | 10.11(L) x 4.61(W) x 1.30(H) inches |
| Touch Enabled | Multi-Touch |
Where to Buy?
- Hundreds of AAA video game titles available
- Play games remotely with Xbox app
- 7-inch Full HD touchscreen
- Over 12 hours of battery life
- Immersive gaming experience on the go
The Logitech G Cloud can be purchased on the Logitech website here and it’s still the best place to purchase. However, as Logitech products are available at all major retailers, no surprise that you can pre-order with the same shipping date and price from Amazon here and Best Buy.
The current price is $299.99 through October 17th when the G Cloud begins to ship to customers who pre-ordered. After October 18th, the device will increase to its regular price of $349.99. Both prices include free shipping and free returns with delivery expected within 4-7 business days once the device ships.
As of now, the G Cloud Gaming Handheld will be limited to availability in the U.S. and Canada. Logitech hasn’t given any indication as to when they will make the handheld available globally.
Check it out on Amazon here.
What is the Logitech G Cloud?
Like other handheld game systems that came before it, the Logitech G Cloud is a gaming device made with cloud gaming in mind. With the rise in popularity of Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now, it was only inevitable that dedicated cloud gaming handhelds would start to appear.
Logitech, the company behind the G Cloud, is a hugely popular consumer electronics company that sells high-quality peripherals for computers. For a long time, Logitech’s “G” unit has sold some of the highest quality gaming mice, joysticks, headsets, and gamepads, so the move into handhelds isn’t all that surprising.
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Hardware
Featuring a 7-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, the all-white handheld offers a mostly traditional layout of X, Y, B, and A buttons, two analog thumbsticks, and an analog thumbpad. When you want to switch games, you’ll press the “G Button” on the left-hand side of the handheld which opens up A menu where you can pause or quit your current game. The dedicated home button will take you back to the Logitech launcher.
Like many gaming handhelds, the Logitech G Cloud also features two sets of bumper and trigger buttons, haptics for feedback, as well as a gyroscope. Another useful feature that’s likely to come in handy is the ability to remap your controls based on the platform or title you are streaming.
Best of all, the G Cloud is said to run for up to 12 hours of battery life, which is double that of the Nintendo Switch. At one pound in weight, it’s also sandwiched nicely between being slightly heavier than the Nintendo Switch at 0.71 pounds against the Steam Deck which is 1.47 pounds.
Software
Logitech partnered with the Chinese company, Tencent, to help design an Android launcher that would support both cloud gaming but also classic menu mode. With Android installed, it’s no surprise that popular apps like Chrome and YouTube can be installed and used when you are not gaming.
With support for the Google Play Store, there is also a very strong likelihood that nongaming apps can be installed and run. Thanks to 64GB of internal memory plus expandable memory via a microSD card slot, there’s a good chance the G Cloud hardware will double as a more traditional Android device, albeit one without a physical keyboard or 4G/5G connection.
What Kind of Gaming Can the G Cloud Handle?
Teaming up with Microsoft and NVIDIA has allowed Logitech to focus the G Cloud on both the Game Pass and GeForce Now subscription services. They will come preloaded with every G Cloud unit and the device is manufactured to best optimize playback from the services. As there is no 4G or 5G connectivity, it’s all about the Wi-Fi for the best possible gaming experience.
GeForce Now
With GeForce Now, G Cloud owners will be able to game via the Steam or Epic Games stores. Users can log in and play any game they currently own or purchase in the future through GeForce Now, which streams through NVIDIAs own servers. Depending on your subscription level with GeForce Now, you can optimize through an RTX 3080 GPU for the best possible gaming experience.
Xbox Game Pass
Because of the Microsoft partnership, access to Xbox Game Pass is also immediately available. Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will get the full catalog of titles available, which numbers well over 100 titles, none of which need to be purchased separately. This includes first-day launch titles on the Xbox platform as well as classic hits from previous Xbox consoles, like the Xbox 360.
Amazon Luna
While Amazon Luna isn’t pre-included, G Cloud owners can jump into the Chrome browser and visit amazon.luna.com and log right in. Subscribers (or Prime members) will be able to game right from the browser after putting Chrome in desktop mode.
Android Gaming
As the G Cloud runs on the cloud, one might ask why it has expandable memory. There’s a very good answer, and that is because the G Cloud runs on Android 11 and so it has access to the Play Store. That increases the available gaming catalog exponentially. Just be forewarned that, because the G Cloud is designed for the cloud, its Snapdragon processor isn’t geared for top-tier offline gaming.
Who is the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld For?
Sandwiched between the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch, the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld fills an interesting niche. Whereas Valve has made the Steam Deck entirely about its own platform, the Logitech is all about multiple platforms. This is the same for the Nintendo Switch, which can only play physical or digital titles Nintendo released for the Switch console. Where both of these platforms have an advantage over Logitech is that they are available offline, while the G Cloud requires an internet connection.
On the other hand, you have the Logitech G Cloud which opens the door to multiple streaming platforms, including GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, Google Stadia (for the next few months anyway), plus the full library of Android games from the Play Store. Broader streaming compatibility might be just enough to get people to overlook the high(er) price tag and buy-in, not to mention Logitech isn’t exactly a new name in the gaming world.
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