For at least the last decade now cloud and stream gaming has become a bit of a phenomenon. Originally sparked by the now defunct OnLive subscription service, cloud gaming became a huge point of interest for gamers and publishers alike with the thought process being ease of access to an entire library of gaming titles on any PC with the games being streamed by an executable program onto one’s computer. As the years went on cloud and stream gaming would continue to slowly, but surely grow and now tech giant Google is throwing it’s hat into the ring with the announcement of Project Stream; a cloud-based streaming service which allows those with at least a recommended 25mb down connection to stream the most recent games at 1080p;60fps, however the most interest piece of information coming from Project Stream is the fact that outside of the recommended connection hurdle, Google simply wants you to be able to game through a free tab in your Chrome browser.

Yes, you read that correctly full 1080p, 60fps gaming through an internet browser. If you’re even slightly interested in PC gaming the thought of this being a realistic possibly is extremely enticing to think about. Should the project take off anyone interested in getting the best gaming experience out of a PC would now have an affordable option to do so thanks to Google. Granted we have no idea if Google plans on charging anything for this service & what the price point(s) for it will be or if it’ll completely free if/when it completely launches to the public, but from the very little we’ve seen from what Google has announced thus far about Project Stream it’s a very attractive piece of tech. You can currently sign up for the potential to be a Project Stream tester at this link here. Meanwhile, check out Google’s official description of the service below:

“Streaming media has transformed the way we consume music and video, making it easy to instantly access your favorite content. It’s a technically complex process that has come a long way in a few short years, but the next technical frontier for streaming will be much more demanding than video.

We’ve been working on Project Stream, a technical test to solve some of the biggest challenges of streaming. For this test, we’re going to push the limits with one of the most demanding applications for streaming—a blockbuster video game.

We’ve partnered with one of the most innovative and successful video game publishers, Ubisoft, to stream their soon-to-be released Assassin’s Creed Odyssey® to your Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop. Starting on October 5, a limited number of participants will get to play the latest in this best-selling franchise at no charge for the duration of the Project Stream test.

The idea of streaming such graphically-rich content that requires near-instant interaction between the game controller and the graphics on the screen poses a number of challenges.  When streaming TV or movies, consumers are comfortable with a few seconds of buffering at the start, but streaming high-quality games requires latency measured in milliseconds, with no graphic degradation.

The technology and creativity behind these AAA video games is extraordinary—from incredible detail and life-like movement of the characters’ skin, clothing, and hair, to the massive scale of the world in which the game unfolds, down to every last blade of grass. Every pixel is powered by an array of real-time rendering technology, artistry, visual effects, animation, simulation, physics and dynamics. We’re inspired by the game creators who spend years crafting these amazing worlds, adventures and experiences, and we’re building technology that we hope will support and empower that creativity.

There are limited spaces available for Project Stream, but if you’re interested in participating, you can apply on our website. Project Stream is geared toward home internet connections capable of 25 megabits per second, and you must be 17 years or older and live in the U.S. to participate (other requirements can be found on the help center).

We’re looking forward to what the future of streaming holds, and feedback from those participating in Project Stream. Thank you for helping us bring streaming to the next level.”

A trailer for the project can be seen below: