OnLive To Launch App That Lets Apple Fans Play Console-Quality Games On An iPad

OnLive has recently announced that it plans to launch a cloud gaming app for the iPad in the App Store. Once available, the application will allow OnLive subscribers to stream console-quality games from the cloud and play them on their iPad, either using a touch interface or a special Bluetooth controller. Currently, it's only possible to view OnLive games on an iPad (using the free OnLive Viewer app). However, the upcoming application, which should be available to download in the App Store at some point today, will allow Apple fans to actually play games like L.A. Noire and LEGO Batman on their touch screen tablet. Already, an application is available for Android OS-powered tablets, and can be downloaded in the Android Market for free. OnLive's universal wireless controller is already available and is priced at $99.99. Though some apps do support touch controls, gaming fans will undoubtedly appreciate this physical controller, which makes the console-gaming experience all the better. The news hit the Web recently via a press release, in which OnLive stated:

OnLive harnesses the power of the cloud to instantly deliver high-end games on demand over the Internet with the simplicity of streaming video. OnLive’s breakthrough cloud gaming technology has enabled gamers on PCs, Macs® and TVs to instantly jump into console-quality games on demand, without discs or lengthy downloads, regardless of the performance of their local device. With today’s launch, gamers can experience the same instant-play, top-tier games on tablets and smartphones, despite the fact that these games require vastly higher performance than is achievable on a mobile device.

In order to fully enjoy the service you'll obviously need a decent Internet connection. However, OnLive also announced in its press release that the service will be compatible with 4G LTE cellular data networks. This isn't great news for Apple fans at the moment, but hopefully by the time the iPad 3 hits Apple Stores we'll be rocking LTE iPhones and iPads. Already, an impressive number of titles are compatible with smart phones and tablets, and even more can be enjoyed using OnLive's controller:

Over 25 OnLive titles, including L.A. Noire, family titles like LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and 5-7, and indies like Defense Grid Gold, will work with touch control on tablets and smartphones. And most of the nearly 200 games in OnLive’s growing library, including recent top-tier releases like Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Lord of the Rings: War in the North, are immediately playable on virtually any device with the Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, which utilizes OnLive’s exclusive adaptive wireless technology to automatically find an optimal wireless connection for a given tablet, smartphone, PC, Mac, TV or Blu-ray player.

The press release notes that OnLive's cloud player app for iPad should launch in the App Store today. Here at AppAdvice, we'll let you know as soon as it does. In the meantime, you can find out more about the service and apps over at OnLive's website.

Related articles