A Game Experience with Separated Storage, Computation, and Display
Traditional PC games, constrained by their standalone architecture, suffer from several pain points: large games must be repeatedly downloaded across multiple devices, insufficient disk space forces frequent uninstallation and reinstallation, system reinstalls require cumbersome reconfiguration, and performance disparities between devices lead to fragmented user experiences. This article advocates for a modern architecture that separates storage, computation, and display: game data is centrally stored on a NAS or server, a high-performance host handles rendering and computation, and streaming technology transmits the video feed to portable display devices such as tablets or smartphones. This solution not only eliminates bandwidth waste and hard drive anxiety but also enables users to enjoy top-tier hardware performance on any terminal. Specific implementation recommendations include building a 10 Gbps wired network environment based on NFS or SMB protocols; the storage end can utilize a RAID6 hard drive array paired with NVMe caching, the computation end only requires a small-capacity solid-state drive for the operating system, and the display end connects via tools like Moonlight. Although this architecture requires slightly more complex initial setup, it completely eliminates the hassle of managing games across multiple devices, allowing users to run high-quality games smoothly in scenarios such as bed or on the go, making it an efficient solution for enhancing the gaming experience.