Winners and Losers: Nvidia GeForce Wow and Disney Plus subtracts the UK

A lot happens in a week in the world of tech and, with Gamescom going on, this has been a hectic seven days. It’s Gamescom that brought us our big winner this week but the loser comes from a problem closer to home.

It seems like an age ago now, but the week kicked off with a loss disguised as a win for the wobbling Huawei. The Huawei Android ban extension has been – well – extended, but the sneaky addition of 46 of its affiliates to the ban list left the Chinese phone maker furious.

Gamescom 2019 – of course – was the big event of the week and Cologne, Germany, was jampacked with wins and losses. We got some better looks at Gears 5 and Marvel’s Avengers – relieving some concerns about both. Then there was Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding.

Gamescom’s Death Stranding showing was a win for clarity, as we found out a bit more about what the game actually is, but it was probably a loss for sanity. Kojima took to the stage to showcase clips of a now-infamous mushroom and an interesting mother-child connection.

Away from Gamescom, a loss which really punched us in our tech feels was the end of dessert-themed Android names. Google, clearly stumped by what Android Q could be called, announced the newest version of the mobile OS will simply be Android 10.

However, there were also some wins on Google in the form of some updates to Photos and Drive.

It’s been a busy week with a cornucopia of winners and losers but two stand out above the rest – one which looks as though it could change the future of gaming and another that could leave a huge set of entertainment fans in distress.

Winner: Nvidia, for its astounding Gamescom GeForce Now showing

For the past year, it feels as though we’ve been told game streaming is the future – with Google Stadia at the forefront of this message. But Stadia has issues and the reaction to Google’s platform has been mixed thus far.

Xbox is one company that seems to have reacted to this and has played down the idea that game streaming is the irresistible force Google wants it to be. Instead, Phil Spencer has put an emphasis on streaming accompanying your home system.

No one seems to understand this notion better than Nvidia – enter GeForce Now.

Before we get to how it performed at Gamescom, Nvidia GeForce has one advantage over Google Stadia right off the bat. GeForce Now lets you stream existing games you have on Steam, Origin and Epic Store.

This feature will appeal massively to PC gamers who have already amassed a giant back catalogue of games.

The cross-platform accessibility sets GeForce Now up as an adaptable accompaniment to your existing gaming routine. If you have a decent internet connection and a middling PC, GeForce Now could house your whole gaming life.

On the other hand, if you have a mammoth PC rig but want a way to play your games away from your desk, GeForce Now is a great option for you too.

Now we get down to the nitty-gritty. Trusted Reviews went hands-on with Nvidia GeForce Now at Gamescom this week.

Computing writer Ryan Jones said:  “During Gamescom 2019, I got the chance to try out GeForce Now running on mobile … To my surprise, Shadow of the Tomb Raider was running on it, and it looked absolutely gorgeous … It was difficult to comprehend I was actually playing this AAA title – one even certified gaming PCs can struggle with – on a smartphone,” adding, “I came away extremely impressed with GeForce Now.”

Read the full Nvidia GeForce NOW hands-on.

Nvidia’s final hurdle is nailing the price. If GeForce Now is able to provide a great service for people who want to use it religiously, but priced low enough for players who want it as an addition to their current system, Nvidia has a certified Stadia killer on its hands.

Loser: Disney Plus, for leaving UK fans out in the cold

Disney Plus is looking as though it will be a huge hit. The House of Mouse owns a massive range of properties now – from Marvel and Star Wars to movies like Avatar, following its acquisition of Fox.

Disney Plus will – of course – also bring all of the company’s classic movies to the platform, along with the latest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. But Disney isn’t stopping there.

The company plans to launch a raft of new content – much of it connected to its existing properties.

During the recent announcement of the MCU’s fourth phase, Kevin Feige revealed TV shows for Disney Plus including The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki and more.

New Star Wars content will be there as well, with The Mandalorian coming on launch day and a new Ewan McGregor Obi-Wan series rumoured.

Now you’re caught up on all the things to get excited about on Disney Plus – unfortunately – it’s time to burst the balloon.

Disney Plus revealed its global launch plans this week. The new service will launch in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on November 12, then Australia and New Zealand on November 19.

Disney made this announcement and the news came and went with no mention of a UK launch. All we know is that Disney Plus plans to roll out the service “in most major markets” within the first two years. Two. Years.

Hopefully, we’ll find out about a UK release date way before the end of those two years. So far, it’s looking like us UK folk will miss out on The Mandalorian and will continue to lose out the longer we have to wait.

Marvel fans will be sad to hear they could miss all the MCU Phase 4 shows if the roll-out does indeed take two years – a terrifying thought for Avengers die-hards.

Trusted Reviews has asked Disney for more details but we are yet to hear back and there have been no new announcements.

There have been some theories about why the UK is being made to wait – from EU legislation about home-grown content to Disney’s obligations to Sky TV – but all have either been debunked or are just speculation.