>> Intel Mac (can also use a HDTV, PC or iPad)
>> internet connection of 2Mbps (5Mbps recommended)
>> OS X 10.5.8 (10.6 recommended)
>> screen resolution of 1024x576 (1280x720 recommended)
>> 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
OnLive is a new way of playing video games. There’s nothing to download, and no discs to insert. Instead of running on your local machine, the gameplay takes place on a cloud server, converting the in-game graphics to video and streaming them to your Mac or other OnLive-compatible device over broadband internet.
The quality of the visuals depends on your internet connection. If you only have 2Mbps, graphical detail is likely to be compromised, but at the recommended 5Mbps, they look great (there’s a useful speed checker at www.bit.ly/nSSual). An Ethernet connection to your router is ideal, but you’re generally okay with Wi-Fi ‘n’ too. We got mixed results using a homeplug AV connection, but the OnLive client is free and you can try most games before buying, so you’ve nothing to lose by giving it a go.
The service is platform-agnostic, and because the games run on the server, the OnLive client is compatible with any Intel Mac, regardless of its CPU or graphics processor. There’s also a client for Windows PCs and the iPad and Android tablets. You can even play OnLive games on your HDTV, using a $99.99 MicroConsole supplied specifically for this purpose. Best of all, your save positions and list of purchases are stored on the server, so when you buy a game you can play it from your last saved position on any machine running OnLive.
Games that use keyboard and mouse controls such as first-person shooters will almost certainly work with your existing setup, but the Magic Mouse and Mighty Mouse are poor tools for gamers. We recommend a dedicated gaming device such as the Cyborg R.A.T. series. But at the very least, you need something that lets you press both buttons at once – if you need to throw a grenade while shooting, your (virtual) life might depend on it. Check the support pages at www.onlive.com for a list of compatible joypads too. There’s one bundled with the MicroConsole, but it won’t work on any other OnLive platform. A universal OnLive joypad, compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device, is coming soon.
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