Facebook has officially tiptoed into the cloud-gaming arena by announcing the opening of several games to the public in beta version - no downloads or special equipment required.

However, the social media giant underplayed the release, saying that it saw its mobile cloud gaming as a supplement to PC and console games, and was not spinning off a separate service.

"We're not trying to replace your favourite gaming software," Facebook said. The idea is to allow people to jump into a game, free of charge, straight from the usual Facebook platform.

For now the test run is limited to Android devices and web users, and to users in the United States. While it's not likely to reach iOS devices anytime soon, it's just a question of time before users elsewhere in the world can play on their desktop.

In order to avoid frightening testers right from the start with a negative gaming experience, Facebook announced that it is initially offering only "latency-tolerant" games - ones with genres such sports, simulation or strategy. Titles include Mobile Legends: Adventure and PGA Tour Golf Shootout.

Down the line, Facebook says that it is planning to expand its systems and infrastructure so that more types of games can be offered. Games with in-app purchases and ads enabled, depending on the format and developer, will eventually be able to launch.

 - dpa