Rumor: Walmart is exploring its own game streaming service
US retail giant may follow in the footsteps of Google's Stadia.
Walmart has been in discussions with developers and publishers about its own game streaming service, a new US Gamer report suggests. According to "multiple" anonymous sources speaking to the site, the US retail giant has conducted meetings concerning a possible streaming platform throughout 2019, and at this year's GDC, which is currently underway in San Francisco.
While no further concrete details are currently available, it's in keeping with the retailer's ongoing move into the digital space, offering web-integrated services in a bid to compete with the Amazon behemoth. The company even explored the possibility of a Netflix-style TV streaming service before abandoning it in favour of expanding its pay-per-view Vudu service.
The news comes after Google's unveiling of Stadia on Monday, a cloud streaming service which can support 4K resolutions and smooth 60 frames per-second framerates. Bolstered by its own first-party game studio and fully integrated with YouTube, the service is expected to launch later this year.
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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.