Verizon probably isn't the kind of company that's normally associated with gaming, but it could have something of the sort in store.
Aptly dubbed "Verizon Gaming," the carrier may have a cloud-based gaming service in the pipeline, according to a report from The Verge.
The Carrier's Gaming Foray
It's described by the news outlet as a "Netflix-style" cloud gaming service, and evidence of it has been revealed in the form of leaked screenshots.
From what can be gathered, it's going to have an impressive roster, consisting of titles such as Fortnite, Detroit: Become Human, Destiny 2, Battlefield V, No Man's Sky, Anthem, and more. There's even the PS4-exclusive God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, which hasn't even been ported to the PC yet.
There's no way of telling whether all these games will show up or not when Verizon Gaming does materialize. The thumbnails on the leaked images could just be placeholders, after all.
Testers Already On It
The Verge reports that Verizon has been recruiting testers in secret, according to emails and forum posts it came across.
There are more than 135 games that are included in the tests, and those who join in are said to receive a $150 Amazon gift card when they complete them. On top of that, participants also receive a free Nvidia Shield TV, which comes preinstalled with the Verizon Gaming app, as well as a login ID and an Xbox One controller, which is compatible with the platform.
Verizon Gaming is already working on the Nvidia Shield device, and it's expected to arrive to Android smartphones in the foreseeable future. At that, the carrier is said to soon distribute the app via Google Play Store to gain more testers on the Android platform. The news website also mentions that testing will be over by the end of January.
It's also worth mentioning that there was a job posting for a "cloud gaming product manager" in November whose responsibilities include "delivering next generation gaming experiences that harnesses the power and capabilities of Verizon's 5G network connectivity."
In other words, the whole cloud-gaming service is put into perspective when the carrier's 5G plans are considered — as long as it isn't anything like AT&T's 5G.
