EA Begins Closed Technical Beta of Project Atlas Cloud Service

EA is starting a closed beta of its cloud gaming service Project Atlas today. There are only a few games playable through the test. It does make it possible to save saves in the cloud and to continue playing on other devices.

It is a technical test, says EA. The company mainly tests things like how the service works with limited bandwidths or network strengths. High latency has always made cloud gaming impossible for serious gamers, but with today’s infrastructures, that’s finally becoming an option. EA uses Amazon Web Services to run the service. The closest server to the player is constantly checked.

EA also says it wants to look at how the technology works with different types of games. This concerns games where a lot of graphics have to be loaded as well as shooting games where precision is important. Four games will be available in the beta: FIFA 19, Titanfall 2, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Unravel. The games can be streamed in HD quality on various devices. EA mentions the possibility to play on both a smart TV and a smartphone, in addition to the PC or Mac. Via Origin it is possible to switch from one device to another. Crossplay multiplayer is also supported in the beta. Players can then play with friends who are playing on other devices.

Those interested can sign up on EA’s website, but the company says only a small group of players can take advantage of the beta. Project Atlas was announced last year, but it was not known for a long time when it would become more widely available. Even now, no timeline has been announced for when a final version will be released.