Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases this week, and with gaming consoles and capable PC rigs now more expensive than ever, you might be wondering if there is another way to play.
Thankfully, there is, but there are a few things you need to know before jumping in.
How to play MW4 without a console or PC
With Game Pass:
Modern Warfare 4 is not included with Xbox Game Pass this year, but if you're a subscriber you can leverage the "stream your own game" program to play it that way, after purchasing it outright.
This isn't locked away to any specific tier of Game Pass, either. You can subscribe to Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate to stream MW4.
With GeForce Now:
Nvidia's streaming service, GeForce Now, will be another way to play Modern Warfare 4 without any expensive hardware like a new console or high-end PC. Or at least we think so. Nvidia hasn't outright confirmed this, but people are playing the campaign early access via GeForce Now, so it stands to reason that it will be officially supported at launch for everyone.
After buying the game outright, you'll be able to stream MW4 on GeForce Now by subscribing to one of the platform's membership tiers.
GeForce Now has multiple tiers, including a free ad-supported membership. There are also $10/month and $20/month tiers with no ads and higher-fidelity experiences. There are also day passes available.
For more, check out the GeForce Now website.
Pros and cons of streaming
Before subscribing to Game Pass or GeForce Now, people should know that playing a twitch shooter like Modern Warfare 4 over the internet might not always be the perfect experience. After all, a cloud service works best with a strong and stable connection, and that's not always a guarantee. However, many people report good experiences, and as always, your mileage may vary.
Something else to consider is that, starting in November, Microsoft will implement caps on how many hours people can stream via Game Pass before they must pay more to keep playing.
The benefits of streaming are pretty obvious: You don't need any expensive hardware. This is because a game is streamed on high-end hardware and beamed to your screen, whatever that may be. You will still need a controller or a keyboard and mouse setup, but you might have those things already, and if you don't, they cost significantly less than a new console or a powerful PC.
Why are consoles and PCs so expensive today?
The Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles were released in 2020, but today, six years later, they are more expensive than ever. Historically, console prices come down instead of going up. So what's driving the price increases? The AI-fueled demand for components and memory is to blame, as is the war in Iran that's driving up oil prices. There are numerous other macroeconomic factors at play, too, including tariffs.
Companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo want to keep making money in this environment. Instead of eating the costs (while they make huge profits and collect tariff refunds), they are charging people more to maintain their margins.
The Switch 2 is among the cheapest ways to play MW4 this year, with that console starting at $500 (up from $450 at launch). The PS5 now starts at $600 (up from $400 at launch) and the latest Xbox consoles are more expensive, too. The Series S now goes for $500 (was $300) and Series X for $750 ($500 at launch). In short, you're in for major sticker shock if you're buying a new console.
For PC players, it's more expensive than ever to build a capable rig, but your price will vary depending on the setup you want, preconfigured or made yourself.
For more, check out GameSpot's Modern Warfare 4 campaign review, and keep checking back for more coverage on DMZ and multiplayer when the game goes live on October 23.