When you think of Verizon, you probably think of a wireless carrier or internet provider. A new report says that Verizon wants you to think of it when it comes to gaming, too.
Verizon Gaming is a new game streaming service that Verizon is currently testing. A report from The Verge has spilled some early details on the service, which is currently in early testing with users. The testers have been given an NVIDIA Shield, an Xbox One controller, and a login, and once the test is complete, they'll get a $150 Amazon gift card for their trouble.
Leaked screenshots show titles like God of War, Far Cry 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and No Man's Sky on the service. Some of those games seem a little strange for inclusion in Verizon's gaming service, like the Sony PlayStation 4-exclusive God of War, but a Verizon employee explains in a tester forum that there are placeholders in the VZG app. An email from the Verizon Gaming team says that they're currently focusing on the performance of the service and that, at a later date, the service's library "will consist of most or all of the top games you are familiar with."
Other details revealed in today's report include documentation that suggests that the Verizon Gaming service will eventually be offered on Android smartphones, where you'll be able to play with an Xbox One controller. Meanwhile, an image shared by a tester in the Verizon Gaming forums shows software from Utomik, a company that specializes in game streaming. And finally, it was discovered that Verizon posted job listings for a "Product Manager - Cloud Gaming" and "Product Manager - 5G Mobile Gaming" back in November.
It's interesting to see Verizon showing an interest in offering a game streaming service, but there's been a lot of interest in that market lately, with companies like Microsoft and Google also dipping their toes in. With the recent launch of its home 5G service and mobile 5G coming soon, perhaps Verizon sees this gaming service as a way to bolster its 5G services with a new add-on.
It's unclear when Verizon Gaming might launch to the public or when Verizon might even make an official announcement. The current test period is scheduled to finish at the end of January, so we may hear more then.
Is a game streaming service something that you're interested in?