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User feedback from Naver Cafe
Product Reviews from [KR] Users
Shadow 사전 체험단 피드백
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Product Reviews from [KR] Users

These user generated reviews were collected from Naver Cafe (11/23 - 12/25)



User Experience

CPU

Positive
Although the CPU specs lack a little, it’s still faster than a laptop
Negative
Disappointed by the CPU performance
The CPU performance that Boost offers, desperately needs improvement. On a scale of 1 to 10, the GPU is a 10 while the CPU is a 1. If the CPU improves, there probably won’t be any games that you can’t play
The Xeon E5-2667 V3’s technical performance is not lacking however, although it’s my personal experience, it seems that the performance doesn’t match up to the graphic cards’ performance.
The SSD write/read speed is much slower than my PC. I’ll be here for a day if I go into details but one of the results that comes from this is the slow speed for creating space for Steam games.
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📸 It’s quite disappointing
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CPU's slow, it feels like it’s slower than an AMD Ryzen 1600.
The CPU performance is ambiguous ー I have an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and it’s slower than that. Hence if you experience any lag when playing games that require high specs, it’s the CPU that’s more likely to be the issue than the GPU.
As many people have pointed out, it feels like the CPU is holding back the graphics card’s full potential → This is something I’ll have to take another look when the higher tiers come out. When playing games like Total War, which require a high CPU usage, it seems to be a struggling a little bit.
The CPU performance is way behind the GPU performance which creates a bottleneck phenomenon. Due to the poor CPU performance, the GPU can’t perform at its optimal level.
The GPU is more than enough to handle 60 FPS but the CPU stops the GPU from operating at its optimal level.
As other pointed out, I also think the CPU is a bit insufficient so I wish there were upgrade options.
Ran MATLAB, it’s much faster than a laptop but it’s not enough to use it for work because of the CPU
High CPU Usage
GPU was fine but CPU didn’t meet expectations especially when installing games on Steam as the CPU usage reached 100% and prevented me from doing other work.
The CPU usage level reaches 100% when downloading Steam games so you won’t be able to play other games at the same time.
📸 It takes a while freeing up space when downloading Steam games.
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GPU

Positive
The ability to do ray tracing was nice, thanks to the RTX graphic card.
Thanks to the decent graphic card, I was able to enjoy playing games with highest settings but it still lags intermittently as it’s remote playing.
The high-resolution support. Shadow supports up to 4K and thanks to this, users with high-end monitors will be able to use Shadow unlike other services which don’t even support 2K.
The graphic card is somewhere between a RTX 2060 and a RTX 2070, which is pretty good.
Negative
📸 Picture quality is definitely different when compared to an actual PC. The following screenshot was taken while the H.265 option was off and other settings at max.
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Local PC - ▲ ▼ - Shadow
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“Take a look at the light greens and oranges for example”
📸 Currently, most VMs and Remote Access machines are dealing with degraded image qualities due to hardware limitations. That being considered, I can’t tell much when playing a game however, it strains my eyes when surfing on the web
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Shadow - ▲ ▼ - Local Monitor
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It’s a shame that the color expression is worse than an actual PC. Especially, the red shades.
A little disappointed by RTX4000 as the FPS didn't meet expectations while playing Battleground. Might consider getting one of the higher tiers (Ultra/Infinite) upon official launch.
I felt the limitation of cloud computing, especially when it came to FPS. I’m an ordinary computer user with a non-gaming mouse, who wouldn’t complaint about going from 144 to 60 FPS. But even me, felt the delay in shooting ammo after clicking the button. I don’t usually play shooting games but if you don’t want to die in a game in an irritated way, I don’t recommend it. Considering NVIDIA progressing in the industry with 4K QHD, I’m a bit disappointed that it’s still stuck at 1080p with a price tag of KRW 19,900.
Don’t expect fantastic graphics ー (Local setup > CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 @ 3.85 GHz | RAM: 24GB | GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 | Monitor: 2560x1440 (2K QHD) @ 60hz

Network Connection & Latency/Lag

Positive
Couldn't tell the difference between Shadow <> Local PC by much while playing Battleground
📸 If lag is a huge factor to you, then I’d say go with Parsec which has a slightly better lag. However, if you look at the overall streaming quality, Shadow is far better.
Regular Speed (above) | Slow-motion (below)
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⇅ Shadow vs Parsec ⇅
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Slow-motion
Beyond expectations, a bit difficult installing/setting games due to overseas IP but overall, the connection is stable with almost no latency.
The responsive rate, quality is far better than GeForce Now and latency on audio and video is far less. The thing I like the most is that I can use it as if it were another PC of mine.
📸 Korean servers seem fast but overseas servers not so much. Test results may vary depending on time/environments.
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Connected from China on a business trip, the connection seems to be stable using hotspot while roaming.
Even if you have slow internet, using softwares like Matlab, MS Office, and online banking is seamless.
1 Gbps at home gave a stable connection for both internet surfing and playing games.
I live in a place where Gigabit speed internet is not available so my internet connection is just about average but it’s works better than I expected.
Negative
Latency on mouse movement, which is critical when it comes to gaming. If it improves, I'd pay to continue using the service.
Latency exists at a level that doesn't interfere with the gameplay, but it a little bit bothersome .
You can feel a little bit of input lag. You can’t really feel it while playing games but you can feel it more distinctively when searching on the web.
📸 Input lag is of evidently there however, the quality is exceptional considering it’s remotely streaming. From my tests, there’s a 30-50ms of input lag compare to a PC.
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Local PC Shadow
“There’s no big difference, but you can still feel a small amount of input lag”
There’s input lag when playing rhythmic games like Osu!. Music is delayed by half a beat and if I press two keys simultaneously, one of them is not recognized
Latency comparison: Parsec > Shadow > TeamViewer
ー because of this, I’d use a shotgun in an FPS game due to I can’t kill fast enough, I’d be a burden on the unit and destroy the flow in an RTS game due to control being one delayed by one beat, and if I were to play a rhythmic game, I’d play a mobile rhythmic game.
Because of the input lag, it’s not ideal for rhythmic or RPG games.
Mobile hotspot gave a choppy experience. Usage: 8.28 GB in 15 mins.
5G on mobile was smooth but LTE had noticeable delays. I wouldn’t recommend playing games on LTE.
When GeForce Now experiences latency/lag, the video quality decreases while Shadow freezes and makes it difficult to use.

Device Compatibility

Positive
macOS & iOS Users
📸 Revolutionary for being able to open Linux within Windows from a Mac.
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The compatibility with iPads, smartphones, and bluetooth peripherals will attract Mac users. Due to the nature of Korea, there are many Mac users who eventually need a Windows PC and by connecting to Shadow through a Mac or an iPad, you can play PC games as well as do internet banking, which would be a huge help.
iPadOS 14 supports mouse and keyboard meaning you can use a gaming mouse, gaming keyboard, HDMI via a multi-port adapter. The computing environment is suddenly upgraded.
I was contemplating buying a XBOX, PS, or a PC but Shadow works well even on my Mac and iPad Mini. I purchased a subscription after using it for only 2 days.
I was able to use Microsoft Word on my iPad, it was a great experience.
iPad + PS4 controller combination works great.
Most of all, I really enjoyed playing PC games on my iPad.
Games and CAD softwares run well on a MacBookPro 16
Windows Users
My ‘14 LG laptop has a hard time opening and running Chrome, but Shadow ran smoothly without barely any delay.
When I used a DualShock 4 controller on my local PC, the setup process was complicated and input didn’t work properly. However, I was satisfied that Shadow detected the the controller immediately and there was no problem with button inputs.
It provides a seamless working environment regardless of the specs of the laptop/PC. It also provides the flexibility of installing/playing any games you want unlike other streaming services.
Android Users
The best feature for me was to be able to play Steam games on a Galaxy tablet or a smartphone. I’ve been playing games laying in bed for 20-30 mins before falling asleep and it’s very satisfying.
Played games on an Android TV like it’s a gaming console. It was a great experience overall.
General
The ability to use different USB peripherals is another advantage. You can connect almost any type of controller. The reaction time for controllers is about the same as a mouse.
The ability and the support to freely switch between various devices
The ability to use Windows OS on a different OS. There are a lot of domestic services that only work on (require) Windows and this will be a huge help
Negative
The mobile version needs a lot of improvement. It seems like they made an effort to make the UX better with shortcuts, but for example, if you zoom in, you can’t move around the screen like a smartphone can. The touch is recognized as a mouse pointer rather and moves the mouse. Smartphone keyboard removes the alt, ctrl, and tab keys.
iOS app + mouse compatibility needs improvement.

Country Specific Issues

Unable to access Games & Websites (Geo-location Issue)
Can't view Naver Café postings properly
Due to the French IP address, not able to access some financial services.
Possibly due to the IP address, a number of Korean websites are not loading properly
Can’t see Naver Cafe posts, I’ve heard that its an IP address related issue. I hope it get’s resolved.
After signing in with my Microsoft account, I got an email alert of “suspicious activity from Spain”
Tried to leave a review on Naver Cafe within Shadow but I couldn’t. Now I’m using the Cafe app for iPadOS to write a review
Why can’t I write or view posts on Naver Cafe?
📸 If Korean games can’t be played (due to IP address), is it worth using Shadow? ー Not for me, at least.
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PC cafes vs Shadow: To be frank, Shadow has the higher PC specs and efficiency over PC cafes however, but those are affected by the IP address issue or have an unstable network, will still go to a PC cafe instead.
Can't type or hard to switch from English to Korean
I use iPad + Logitech k380 keyboard and the input language doesn’t change between EN/KR from time to time.
Payment Issues
Couldn’t use my credit card

Storage Size

Positive
N/A
Negative
Storage of 256 GB is too small, downloaded the Battlegrounds, GTA5, Fortnite, World of Ships and there’s 5GB remaining.
Limited storage of 256 GB. I thought it’d be more than enough before using it but I realized it isn’t enough as the latest games easily go over 100GB.
Limited storage of 256GB is a bit concerning but I’m sure it will increase upon official launch.
If you’re a heavy gamer, the storage may feel way too small/limited.
Assuming it’d be difficult to ask for more storage at this price point, so please launch it officially and sell additional storage.
Compared to GeForce Now which offers unlimited storage for games, the 256 GB (in reality, it’s really 200 GB) Shadow provides only allows up to 3 latest games. I know that extra storage and spec upgrades are available in other countries so I hope they become available in Korea soon too.
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Feedback

Comparison vs PC

Shadow vs PC
Although there’s still room for improvement compared to a physical PC, but the initial set up time is not long without any Windows and other drivers installations. I bought a subscription with confidence that they can only improve and grow from this point forward.
Considering gaming computer prices these days, it's worth it.
It’s worth the money and I highly recommend it, especially to students or dads who use a low spec PC at home.
Shadow and my local PC generate the same amount of heat as it’s simply receiving picture and transferring my input which is barely any.
If the service stabilizes over time and they stay on top of updating the software, it would certainly remove the concern of having to buy or upgrade to an expensive laptop from the consumer perspective.
There’s no need for stressing about whether or not to purchase a gaming PC anymore. Of course, a high-end PC is great however, I put cost-effectiveness as a priority. I’ll buy an iPad Pro and connect a monitor, keyboard, and a mouse and play games at home and work outside the house.
The bottom line is, it’s faster than my work PC. I was even more surprised because I couldn’t have imagined it would be this fast.
Shadow vs Other Services
The responsive rate and the quality is far better than GeForce Now and latency on audio and video are far less.
Shadow is Parsec’s perfect successor.
From a performance perspective, it’s a little behind GeForceNow but the freedom to do whatever you need to do is the best biggest advantage.
Compared to GeForce Now, the variety of supported games + different modes put Shadow to the front of the line. I’ll probably unsubscribe from GeForce Now and subscribe to Shadow after the trial.
I’ve used Loudplay (another cloud gaming solution) and Shadow has the advantage by far.

Pricing

Positive
₩20,000/month (or more) which comes out to be ₩240,000/year may seem too much but with the flexibility of buying a lower spec tablet or laptop and the consideration of lifespan of a laptop, it may be worth considering.
When comparing only the actual gameplay, the ability to use Windows OS and the cost-effectiveness are excellent compared to other cloud gaming services.
Negative
Price vs Value
Considering the hardware specs & utilization vs monthly fee, lots of improvement is needed.
This is the biggest concern. ₩20,000/month is a significant amount so if I must play games on a laptop, I’d bear the cost but if you have a personal desktop or don’t play games as much, the price’s not so appealing.
The price doesn’t match CPU performance
Of course there are merits to use Shadow with a monthly subscription fee of ₩20,000 but looking at it from a long-term solution, it makes me think ‘hmm, should I just build a PC?’.
As the mobile internet speed is gradually getting better with 5G, cloud computing environment is expected to develop more and more. With this in mind, I hope the price gets less expensive as well.
Considering the specs and the price, it’s a good service if you have an old laptop but cannot afford a new gaming laptop at the moment. However, if you calculate the cost and the period of time that you will use a gaming laptop, the cost would be similar.
Pricing Models
I think it would be nice if the payment system was based on usage like PC cafes. Thanks for the trial but it’s a bit too expensive.
Purchased a subscription right away but a little disappointed with no annual commitment option.

Portability

Portability is an advantage
It provides convenience for those who travel for work by just carrying a light laptop
A huge advantage is the portability you get through a smartphone or a tablet.
Being able to take out your devices and connect to Shadow anywhere at any time is a huge advantage in terms of PC performance and cost-effectiveness.
It feels like I now have a high end PC that I can bring anywhere.
If you could utilize it on an iPad or LG Gram which has an emphasis on portability, it will be very satisfying to play games or use programs that require high specs without having to buy an expensive eGPU
Being forced to work on a laptop or a tablet because I’m always on the go and can’t carry a PC around with me, I was really excited to see Shadow.
Since I don’t own a PC, I think Shadow is a great service. I love the fact that I can use desktop equivalent specs in a laptop that I can carry anywhere. I keep using Shadow because it gives me freedom and flexibility as a new computer rather than a gaming console.

Product & Customer Support

Lack of Support & Information
When an issue occurs, I think that the DIY solutions and the official support are still insufficient. If it’s a problem that you could potentially fix it yourself, the information available in Korean is lacking.
The email support is good too but once the service gets more established in the country, I hope there will be a chat option like other services.
When it comes to Naver Cafe, surprisingly it’s more difficult to find the information I need and the feedback from other users aren’t collected and organized well so there’s just a lot of opinions.
Positive Experience
Impressed by the activation timeline +/- 10 mins.
I’m not able to play Sudden Attack due to the overseas IP address. Here, I was able to see the kindness and promptness of their support. Of course, this is not a problem that could be resolved right away but their support didn’t post a round about answer, but rather keeping their communication window open until they had an answer for the issues that were raised by their users.

Other Feedback & Suggestions

Meeting Customer Expectations & Needs
Ever since the term "cloud gaming" started coming out, I've always had a negative view on them but this is great, it changed my view on cloud gaming 180 degrees.
I’m thankful for you guys making my wish a reality, XBOX cloud coming into a PC form.
I’m not a heavy gamer but I do enjoy playing games. I sometimes use Photoshop or Premiere Pro to create images or videos. However, my place is too small to have a dedicated area for a desktop so a service like this is perfect for me.
I used to get stressed out as I often struggled with my laptop not being able to handle simple tasks or even surfing on the internet but now that it became a powerful PC with Shadow, I’m now stress free!
There’s a bit stuttering but I hope the server gets stabilized over time. If this issue gets resolved in the future, it’s an attractive service to be able to use high-performance programs regardless of the laptop/PC specifications.
I’m a college student who’s contemplating buying a laptop or a tablet for light gaming. After the trial, I saw the appeal of buying a decent tablet to use Windows on Shadow rather than buying a laptop or using a remote software.
Overall, it was a great reminder that the internet and cloud technology have developed so much.
The ability to play LoL on a laptop is exceptional.
Not Meeting Customer Expectations & Needs
I think I had too high of expectations, if I didn’t have any; I would’ve been very happy. The specs are not up to par for the latest games yet unrivaled pricing among other cloud services. Before the trial, I had the mind set of ‘if I get chosen, I will subscribe’ however, my mind is shifting away from subscribing after using it for a little
Recommendations from Trial Users to Potential Users
I’d recommend it to college students, and businessmen who travel often. I think if you’re going to use/play at one place only, it might be better to build a computer. A bit expensive but if they raise the specs for Boost, it might be worth. Overall, I’d give a 85 out of 100.
I’d recommend it to people who is looking to build a new computer, who doesn’t use a PC for a long time, and especially for married men who like playing games.
I’d recommend it to those who play games that don’t require a precise reaction time like RPG and simulation games.
There’s a lot of room for improvement but it’s definitely not a low quality service; it’ll be a worthwhile service for many.
If you’ve purchased a few Steam games but aren’t able to play because of PC specs, this would be a good service to use.
If you went to PC cafes only to play Battlegrounds, I highly recommend this.
📸 I’m a corporate worker and also a student pursuing a Masters degree in Data Science. So I started downloading developing tools including Jupyter Notebook, RStudio, SQL Server, etc. I thought it’d run into problems during the installations on “cloud”, but for those who use/study these programs, I highly recommend Shadow.
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