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OnLive on the iPad: PC gaming to go (hands-on)

We played full PC games on an iPad, streamed remotely, thanks to a demo of OnLive's upcoming iPad/Android tablet app. Can this magic be possible? Believe.

Scott Stein
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Scott Stein
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OnLive's service, playing back on a MicroConsole. Read our review of the MicroConsole.
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The MicroConsole's control pad currently doesn't work with the iPad, but expect a similar-looking controller with Bluetooth to be available in the fall when the iPad's OnLive service goes live.
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OnLive on the iPad: looks the same as on a TV or computer screen.
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If you squint, you make out the faint lines of the virtual control pad overlay. Button positions are customizable.
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The Arena, currently live, lets you watch other OnLive games being played around the world.
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OnLive's Marketplace of games. F.E.A.R. 3 is one of many recognizable big-budget titles.
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While most players in the fall will likely opt for the Bluetooth controller, using the virtual control pad is actually decent for some games.
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Playing Red Faction Guerrilla. On an iPad.
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OnLive's physical controller feels great. When it's available, assuming it's the same, many people are going to wish it worked for other iPad games, too.
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We couldn't play this way yet, but this is our dream pose of what gaming should be like on OnLive in the fall.

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