OnLive, the start-up whose technology streams video games over an Internet connection, is expanding its service to tablets and mobile devices.
OnLive said Thursday that it will now stream console-quality games on tablets and phones using a mobile application. Users could already stream such high-end video games using OnLive’s “microconsole,” a cassette-tape sized gadget.
The company’s streaming technology is similar to what Netflix and others use to let people watch movies over an Internet connection. But the process is much more complex with video games. Games cannot be compressed into smaller files before they are sent over a broadband connection. Since they are interactive, video games require an immediate reaction to the player’s actions.
OnLive’s technology lets its servers communicate with players’ gadgets in real time.