What is Antstream?
For around 3 years, game streaming has been the new way to play AAA games. Using Google Stadia, GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, players have been playing games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Destiny 2, God of War and many more. It was very much geared towards graphically intense games. You could play these games on your phone or tablet as long as you had a decent internet connection.
“But what about the classic games from my childhood,” I hear you ask. What about Mortal Kombat 1 or PacMan? That’s where Anstream Arcade comes into play. Antstream Arcade is the world’s first FREE retro games streaming platform with over a thousand carefully curated games to choose from. All of the 1000+ games are fully licensed from the developers giving you a guilt free retro gaming experience.
Interface
The homepage for Antstream Arcade is very much reminiscent to your TV interface, or the app. It isn’t the easiest thing to navigate with a mouse and keyboard. It is much easier to scroll through the many games with a compatible gamepad.
The controller setup is very good at detecting your gamepad and mapping each game correctly to its controls, displaying a helpful button layout when you load each game. Not all games work well with a controller though. Games from the ZX Spectrum, for example, work a lot better when using the keyboard.
Games
With over 1000 games, there is likely to be something you want to play. There is an emphasis on classic “arcade cabinet” titles along with games from the Amigam Spectrum ZX and Commodore 64. There are a few Sega Mega Drive/Genesis titles on Antstream, but it is geared more towards old PC and arcade games. Whilst there is no shortage of games, there will be some digging involved to find your next game. They are all searchable either through name, platform or genre. Unfortunately, you won’t find the likes of Zelda, Mario or any Nintendo games here. Each game has 4 slots to save your last game state in as well as a few achievements to try and unlock. And, there are also monthly tournaments to enter for certain games where you can win gems and unlock achievements.
The multiple systems also mean there’s a lot of overlap between certain games; nearly every Dizzy adventure game on Antstream has individual versions for Amiga, C64, and Spectrum ZX. I am not sure if multiple titles count as 1 or 3 of the 1000+ games.
Because the library is so big and the familiar games are relatively few, you can bookmark titles you want to play as you browse. Select a game, then select the star next to the Play button. It’ll be added to your Favourites list. Your Favourites isn’t the easiest option to find; you will need to navigate via your profile to get there. This is a minor inconvenience though.
Requirements
Because you are streaming the games from Antstream, you will need an internet connection. But apart from that you don’t need much. There is an iPhone and Android app which works with touchscreen controls as well a bluetooth/wired controller. The browser version as I mentioned above works with the keyboard as well as controller. There is even a Google TV app to play on your big screen. I have played several games and am yet to experience any issue whilst streaming. I think this could be down to the games not needing much graphical fidelity. But it is promising that it will work on a lower quality internet connection.
You don’t even need to pay. There is an Ad supported free version that uses “gems” to play games which are earned by watching ads or competing in tournaments. If you do want to subscribe, there is a monthly option at £6.99 ($6.99) or yearly for £39.99 ($39.99). This gives you an ad-free experience with no play limits
Final thoughts
Every game streaming service is better catered to certain gamers. If you have a big Steam library, GeForce Now is probably for you. If you have an Xbox, then of course you will go for Game Pass Ultimate. But, if you crave some retro gaming goodness, then Antstream Arcade is the way to go. There is plenty of choice and you don’t need to pay a subscription to play it. I don’t think this will be anyone’s “main” streaming service, but as a supplementary service I think it is excellent.
Great review! I tried Antstream the past weekend and I was positively surprised! Game library might not be my cup of tea, but it’s a great way to preserve and legally play those old games. Especially with the free option! ?