WHAT OnLive does is make games accessible to everyone by eliminating the need for powerful hardware used. Instead of gamers playing their game natively on their system, it’s played on an OnLive server with the image streamed back to them. Cloud gaming, as it’s called, has been a concept and an idea for many years now, but the technology has only recently been good enough to be usable and make a big impact.

OnLive currently sell a MicroConsole package that enables people to get OnLive quickly and easily. All people need to begin playing is an HDTV with an HDMI ports and an Internet connection of just 3Mbps. For just £69.99, consumers get the MicroConsole, a Wireless Controller, an OnLive rechargeable Controller battery, power adapter, HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, USB cable and a pair of AA batteries.

But users don’t necessarily need the MicroConsole to access OnLive.

It can be accessed from a new or old PC or Apple Mac, an Android or iOS based portable device, or a smart TV.

The PlayPack Bundle is a fantastic offer for users wanting to get good value for money.

For a flat fee of just £6.99 a month, they get access to over 100 games. With great games such as Homefront, Borderlands, Saints Row 2, Just Cause 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum – there’s no way that gamers should overlook this package. Not only do PlayPack Bundle subscribers get all this, they also get a 30 per cent discount on all other purchases made in the OnLive store.

Special offers present themselves from time-totime, with some games becoming available for just a few quid. It’s worth keeping an eye on these, as there can be some real bargains to be had.

The quality of the experience is silky smooth and seamless. I don’t have a particularly speedy connection, yet the service doesn’t struggle in the slightest. The actual quality of the graphics aren’t as crisp nor as clear as a game on a dedicated console, but they’re not a million miles away. It’s perfectly playable and a lot better than the graphics that most peoples PC or laptop could produce natively.

For anybody without a console or with a flaky old PC, I couldn’t recommend OnLive more. It’s no reason to sell a current generation console, but it’s every reason why no one should be playing sub-standard games n For a much more detailed look into OnLive, the MicroConsole and what it can do for us all, log on to dailyecho/leisure/games.co.uk.