OnLive Finally Arrives on Tablets and Smartphones

OnLive streaming game service has finally arrived on smartphones and tablets, offering a free copy of LEGO Batman.

On Wednesday night, OnLive officially launched its highly-anticipated app for tablets and smartphones that allows gamers to stream PC-based titles directly to their device.

According to the company, the free app will stream games via a Wi-Fi connection but also support 4G LTE gaming, enabling full HD resolution, low-latency cloud gaming anywhere there's a 4G connection. OnLive has also provided a growing library of 25 console-class games that have been adapted for touch-based controls including L.A. Noire, LEGO Harry Potter (1-4, 5-7) and LEGO Batman, the latter of which will be offered free to anyone who downloads the app.

"OnLive harnesses the power of the cloud to instantly deliver high-end games on demand over the Internet with the simplicity of streaming video," the company said. "OnLive’s breakthrough cloud gaming technology has enabled gamers on PCs, Macs and TVs to instantly jump into console-quality games on demand, without discs or lengthy downloads, regardless of the performance of their local device. With today’s launch, gamers can experience the same instant-play, top-tier games on tablets and smartphones, despite the fact that these games require vastly higher performance than is achievable on a mobile device."

In addition to the touch-based games, OnLive said that most of the titles listed in the OnLive library like Batman: Arkham City, Assassins Creed: Revelations and Lord of the Rings: War in the North can be played on a tablet or smartphone using the new $49.99/£39.99 Universal OnLive Wireless Controller. This gadget reportedly uses the company's "exclusive adaptive wireless technology" to find the optimum wireless connection for tablets, smartphones, PCs, Macs, TVs or Blu-ray players.

"As always, any game purchased on one OnLive app device (TV, PC, Mac, tablet or mobile device) can be played instantly on any other OnLive app device with full cloud save game data intact, allowing users to start play on one device, and continue playing on any other device, whenever and wherever they want," the company said. "OnLive’s cross-platform capability extends to multiplayer gaming, enabling, for example, a tablet gamer to play with TV, PC, Mac and smartphone gamers."

The OnLive app is available for free to download for tablet and mobile devices starting today. However release dates and times are subject to mobile app store certifications (what's new). An OnLive representative told Tom's that the Android version will be available first, as the company is "at the mercy of partners for other versions forthcoming." The Universal OnLive Wireless Controller will soon be available for purchase in the US and UK through the OnLive web store (USA) (UK).

As previously reported, setting up an OnLive account is free. Each individual game is offered in three ways: a 3-day pass (or rental), a 5-day pass, or a full pass (meaning you've basically purchased the game). OnLive also offers an all-you-can-eat subscription service for $9.99 USD that offers most of the games in OnLive's growing library.

Following is a preliminary list of smartphones and tablets that are supported by the new OnLive app located here on the Android Market:

Tablets
Acer Iconia Tab A500
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
HTC Flyer
HTC Jetstream
Motorola Xoom
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Sony Tablet S
Toshiba Thrive

Smartphones
HTC EVO
HTC Nexus One
HTC Rezound 4G
HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation XL
Motorola Droid 2
Motorola Droid X2
Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G
Motorola DROID RAZR 4G
Motorola Photon 4G
Samsung Galaxy S II 4G

NOTE: The Android Market claims that the app is also compatible with Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY, but it wasn't listed on OnLive preliminary list seen above.