You really want to Lost Ark to play, but you don’t have a gaming PC? MeinMMO presents you with the cheapest options if you want to play Lost Ark but don’t have a gaming PC and don’t want to buy one.
What is Lost Ark? Lost Ark is currently the most successful MMORPG on Steam. The gameplay is very similar to Diablo III, but it offers a real MMORPG experience with dungeons, raids, and PvP elements.
Lost Ark is a massive success on Steam with over 1 million players at the same time. Due to its great success, many users now want to start playing the MMORPG Lost Ark.
Where can you play Lost Ark? You can currently only play Lost Ark on PC, with Lost Ark on PS5 or Xbox Series X looking grim for now. But what if you don’t own a gaming PC or don’t want to buy new hardware? MeinMMO presents you with some alternatives.
Shadow
What is Shadow? Shadow is a cloud service. Unlike GeForce Now or other streaming providers like Google Stadia, you stream a complete Windows PC with desktop here. You can use Shadow like a real PC: You are working and gaming all the time on a virtual desktop. Shadow itself has explained that only you can see what you are doing on the desktop and that the provider has no access to your digital computer.
Where can you use Shadow? You can use Shadow on your Windows PC as well as on Android, iOS, and even under Linux.
- Android app for Shadow in the Google PlayStore
- iOS app for Shadow in the Apple AppStore
What does Shadow cost? You cannot use the cloud service Shadow for free, and there is also no free trial. The subscription price is 29.99 per month. There is no cheaper option, and there is no way to save money with a longer subscription.
This is what you need for Shadow: The provider recommends an internet speed of at least 15 Mbit/s to use Shadow properly. Thus, the requirements for Shadow are at the same level as GeForce Now.
GeForce Now
What is GeForce Now? GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service that allows you to play your games in the cloud. You can stream your own games from Steam, Uplay, and others. There is both a free and a paid model.
Where can you use GeForce Now? You can stream your games on both a computer and mobile devices like a smartphone. There is already a suitable app for Android in the AppStore. As an iOS user, you can currently only use GeForce Now in the Safari browser as a mobile option.
- Android app for GeForce Now in the Google PlayStore
- iOS: Safari mobile via play.geforcenow.com
What does GeForce Now cost? GeForce Now is available in three different subscription models. In the basic model, you pay nothing, but you also have to live with certain limitations. For instance, you can play for a maximum of one hour at a time before you need to reconnect. In the other models, you have to pay money. In the following table, you can see Nvidia’s three models:
| Free | Priority | RTX 3080 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Basic Rig | Premium Rig with Raytracing | GeForce RTX 3080 with Raytracing |
| Access | Standard access to gaming sessions | Preferred access to premium servers | Access to RTX 3080 servers |
| Session Duration | 1 hour | 6 hours | 8 hours |
| Price | Free | 9.99 Euro/month | 99.99 Euro / 6 months |
This is what you need for GeForce Now: GeForce NOW requires at least 15 Mbit/s for 720p at 60 FPS and 25 Mbit/s for 1080p at 60 FPS. Without a sufficiently fast internet connection, GeForce Now does not function.
Depending on which device you play with, you also need a recommended controller. Mobile controllers like the Razer Kishi would also be an alternative if you want to play on your smartphone.
If you want to stream at 1440p and with RTX 3080, you need at least 35 Mbit/s. How well online games and MMORPGs run on GeForce Now has been tested by MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch for you.
Other alternatives if you want to play Lost Ark
What other alternatives are there? Apart from GeForce Now and Shadow, there are other streaming providers. So far, however, none of them support Lost Ark:
- Another provider would be Playkey. Here you can also stream your games from Steam, Uplay, and others without needing special hardware.
- Netboom is a service that you can only use in the browser. Here, too, you stream your own games from Steam.
And what if you don’t want to stream? If you are not in the mood for streaming, the alternatives currently look quite poor. At least many users hope that they can eventually play the MMORPG Lost Ark on the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck is a handheld console on which you can comfortably play Steam games on the couch.
However, there are still some hurdles to overcome before you can play Lost Ark on the Steam Deck. MeinMMO explains how likely Lost Ark will be available on the Steam Deck:
