5 different platforms for online gamers to try

Whether it’s mobile gaming or using a specific website, the developments in online gaming have reshaped how many of us play games. Although internet connections are now necessities for console games, our focus today is on the huge digital world of online gaming platforms specific to the internet or mobile apps.

1. Sweepstakes gaming

Even just a decade or so ago, the idea of a fully functioning sweepstakes casino site attracting thousands of users a month and becoming a dynamic, fresh alternative to traditional gambling would have been snuffed at. 

We say alternative, but the only difference between traditional gambling and these platforms is that they don’t use real money. Instead, they use gold coins and other in-game currencies. Sites like WSN have experts who provide their opinions regarding the highest-rated sites based on various variables. Sweepstakes are a growing part of the industry. As they manage to find an audience without using conventional routes, more people are sitting up and paying attention. 

Gamers can redeem their gold coins for prizes, but the sites do need to turn a profit themselves at the end of the day. Without the influx of revenue from gamblers placing real money wagers around the clock, they’ve become more inventive and use fresh ways of marketing to keep themselves relevant and profitable. 

2. Twitch

While YouTube is the juggernaut of online video streaming, Twitch has focused on the growing video gaming sector and aligned itself under the wing of another digital giant — Amazon. Not only is Twitch the number one streaming platform, but it dominates the market. Personally, it’s the gaming platform I use most to keep up to date with the latest gaming trends and to see which gaming influencers are generating a bit of noise for their brand online. 

There’s also been a significant surge in comedians using the site since 2020, so there are many dimensions to the entertainment offered via the world’s leading game streaming platform.

League of Legends, Grand Theft Auto and Counter-Strike are some of the most popular games that are streamed on Twitch. If you enjoy gaming but would rather sit back occasionally and watch how the pros do it, Twitch could be the platform to check out. 

3. Nvidia GeForce Now

It feels like anything Nvidia touches at the moment turns into gold. Although their GeForce Now cloud gaming platform has been around since 2013, their recent monumental innovation in processing and AI has meant that this platform is garnering more attention. 

In 2023, they joined forces with Microsoft, incorporating many exclusive XBOX games and benefitting from the company’s Activision takeover. As our world continues marching into the digital sphere, whether through revolutionizing business payments online or through staggeringly sophisticated AI capability, companies like Nvidia are pioneering and looking at the possibilities that lie in wait. 

Now, we’re not going to say there isn’t some rightful skepticism about AI or Nvidia, given how simultaneously exciting, new and slightly scary AI technology is becoming, but gaming has proven to be one of the most dependable gambles this century, featuring huge core audiences. Nvidia now has the profile and the capital to make some serious inroads into this entertainment sector.

4. Shadow Tech

Another cloud gaming platform making some serious waves is Shadow. The French company has a similar ethos and business model to GeForce Now, launching just a couple of years after Nvidia GeForce Now, but identifying that there would be a significant rise in cloud gaming platforms. While they have fewer users than many of the platforms we’ve discussed today, they have over 100,000 regular users and have been growing with each year since their 2015 launch.

Despite impressive seed investments and the fact the platform accommodates PC games as well as console games, they didn’t quite grab the attention of online gamers the way Nvidia GeForce, Twitch or Steam have. 

We appreciate there’s a different type of gaming on offer here, but gamers will flock to platforms that simply offer a great experience, usually non-plussed by the specificities or mechanics of the site. Given they’re up against Nvidia and Xbox in this field, they do have quite a task on their hands. 

5. Steam

Steam is a dominant force in PC gaming; I’ve left them until last because we presume you have probably heard of them. If all of Steam’s daily users were put in one country, it would be in the top 10 most populated in the world. 

While that might sound like a forced analogy, it shows just how much of a mega-brand Valve’s pioneering multibillion-dollar gaming platform software has become. No other gaming platform of its type has the sheer volume of games Steam does. With over 30,000 options to choose from, we’re sure you’ll find something you like.

Final thoughts

We imagine you have probably come across one or two of these platforms as an avid online gamer, or you’ll have at least heard of some of them. 

From our experience, testing out the platforms we’ve discussed today will help you build your knowledge of some of the industry’s tried-and-tested names and potential big names. Nvidia GeForce Now is one of many to watch and given that they’ve joined forces with Microsoft’s gaming might, the platform could see a colossal influx of users over the next decade. That’d be our main pick.