Nvidia GeForce Now |OT|
Release date: February 4th, 2020 (full public release)
Apps available on: Windows, macOS, Android, Android TV
Web streaming available on: Chromebook, iOS
Official website
App download links for all platforms
Web streaming link for Chromebook and iOS
Full release blog post
What is GeForce Now?
From Nvidia:
Nvidia's Phil Eisler said:More than 1.2 billion players have made the PC the world's largest gaming platform, yet only a fraction have a modern PC with the power to play their favorite games.
GeForce NOW lets you use the cloud to join in. It's the power to play PC games anywhere, on any device — even the billion devices that aren't game ready. You're upgrading to a state-of-the-art gaming rig by virtually adding a GeForce graphics card to your PC, Mac, SHIELD or Android phone.
Just like the PC, GeForce NOW is an open platform. It's powered by our world-class GPU architecture and uses our Game Ready Drivers for the best performance. And, because these are real PC games, GeForce NOW gives you the precision of keyboard and mouse gaming, as well as optimizations for game controllers.
It's an opportunity for you to connect to the millions of gamers online and join your friends in your favorite PC communities. Most importantly, it instantly connects you to the games you already own on the digital game stores you own them on, or the latest free-to-play game everyone is playing.
What are the requirements to play?
From Nvidia's website:
Nvidia said:MACOS
Your macOS must be 10.11 or higher. Users on macOS 10.10 can read this knowledge base article for more information.
INTERNET REQUIREMENTS
GeForce NOW requires at least 15Mbps for 720p at 60 FPS and 25Mbps for 1080p at 60 FPS. We also require less than 80ms latency from an NVIDIA data center. However, for the best experience, we recommend less than 40ms. Please read this knowledge base article on how to test your network.
RECOMMENDED FOR GEFORCE NOW RTX 3080 MEMBERSHIP
GeForce NOW requires at least 35Mbps for streaming up to 1440p for most iMacs or 1600p for most MacBooks at 120 FPS. We also recommend a hardwired Ethernet connection, or a 5GHz wireless router.
Note: GeForce NOW RTX 3080 memberships will not be available in all data centers at launch. Please check the Regional Availability website for more details.
If your MacBook or notebook doesn't have an Ethernet port, you may need to use an Ethernet adapter. Please see this knowledge base article for a list of tested adapters.
KEYBOARDS AND MICE
Most built-in or USB keyboards work fine.
We recommend a USB gaming mouse for PC and Mac. Mac users should look for a dedicated gaming mouse as the Apple Magic Mouse doesn't have dedicated left/right buttons and a scroll wheel, which are usually needed for games. Logitech and Razer offer many different options.
MONITORS
Most monitors work fine for all membership types.
RECOMMENDED FOR GEFORCE NOW RTX 3080 MEMBERSHIP
120 FPS streaming will require a monitor that supports at least 120Hz, such as NVIDIA G-Sync Monitors or a MacBook Pro 14" or 16" with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. You must connect to the monitor using an HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 1/2/3, USB-C, or USB 4 connector. Your system may require an additional adapter, or cable, to connect to the monitor. Any adapter used must support DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 2.0. Please read this knowledge base article for more information.
GAMEPADS
Additional gamepads may work with GeForce NOW. Some require additional drivers and/or software updates to properly function.
- All Microsoft Xbox Wireless controllers using Bluetooth or USB wired
- Microsoft Xbox 360 connected USB wired
- Sony PS5 DualSense connected using Bluetooth or USB wired
- Sony DualShock 4 connected using Bluetooth or USB wired
- Logitech Gamepad F310/F510/F710
- Note: you must change the controller to work in (Direct input mode)
- Note: the nano-receiver must be connected to a USB port that delivers enough power, such as a powered USB hub or an iMac/MacBook USB port
- SteelSeries Nimbus
MAC HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Any Mac system introduced in 2009 or later, up to 1080p 60 FPS streaming.
RECOMMENDED FOR GEFORCE NOW RTX 3080 MEMBERSHIP
Any Mac system introduced in 2012 or later, up to 1440p (QHD) or 1600p (WQXGA), and up to 120 FPS streaming.
What are the membership options?
There are three different memberships currently available for new users at the time of this writing:
- Free Membership
- $0.00 per month
- Allows access to all of your games supported by GeForce Now
- Allows you to play a game for up to one hour. After the hour, your game will be closed, and any unsaved progress will be lost. However, you can immediately go back into the game if you wish, with no limit on how many games you play or sessions you start.
- Priority Membership
- $9.99 USD per month, or $49.99 USD for six months
- Founders members retain the original pricing of $4.99 USD per month as long as their subscription doesn't lapse
- Allows access to all of your games supported by GeForce Now
- Gives you queue priority when starting a game
- Allows you to use RTX in supported games
- Supports up to 1080p and 60 FPS
- Allows for you to play a game for up to six hours. After the six hours end, your game will be closed, and any unsaved progress will be lost. However, you can immediately go back into the game if you wish, with no limit on how many games you play or sessions you start.
- $9.99 USD per month, or $49.99 USD for six months
- RTX 3080 Membership
- $19.99 USD per month, or $99.99 USD for six months
- Founders members will receive 10 percent off the subscription price, and can also revert to a Priority membership without losing their Founders status as long as there is no lapse in subscription
- Allows access to all of your games supported by GeForce Now
- Gives you exclusive access to RTX 3080 servers
- Allows you to use RTX in supported games
- Supports up to 1440p and 120 FPS on PC and most iMacs
- Supports up to 1600p and 120 FPS on most MacBooks
- Supports up to 4K on Nvidia Shield TV 4K HDR devices
- Supports up to 120 FPS on select Android devices
- Allows for you to play a game for up to eight hours. After the eight hours end, your game will be closed, and any unsaved progress will be lost. However, you can immediately go back into the game if you wish, with no limit on how many games you play or sessions you start.
- $19.99 USD per month, or $99.99 USD for six months
GeForce Now games can be played at up to 1080p, and up to 60FPS.
What hardware is used for GeForce Now?
Nvidia has not given the exact specifications of the hardware used for the open release of the service. However, they have stated that GeForce Now offers performance comparable to a game being played on an RTX 2080.
How do I buy games for GeForce Now?
You actually don't buy games specifically for GeForce Now. Instead of being its own separate platform like Google Stadia, GeForce Now pulls games you already own on other services (including Steam, Uplay, Origin, and the Epic Games Store) and allows you to stream them (as long as they're supported; see below for information on what specific games can be played). When you start a game on GeForce Now, you sign in to your account for one of the services mentioned before. Once you're signed in, you install the game to Nvidia's own hardware if needed (a process that usually takes a couple of minutes at most, and a few seconds at minimum), and from there, the game automatically starts.
Because GeForce Now uses your existing game libraries from various PC platforms and uses those platforms' clients, if you're playing a game with cloud save support on Steam, Uplay, etc., then you can pick up on GeForce Now right where you left off on your PC. Additionally, this means that if GeForce Now is ever shut down or a game you play is removed from it, you will still have access to your games if you have your own PC.
What games can be played on GeForce Now?
Click here to go to Nvidia's website and see the official list of games that are playable on GeForce Now.
I saw people talking about playing Battle.net games, but I don't see them in the app.
Unfortunately, all Activision Blizzard games were removed from GeForce Now on February 11th, 2020. This includes their games from both Steam and Battle.net, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Overwatch, and Spyro: Reignited Trilogy.
Can I record and share gameplay without using a capture card of my own?
Select games on GeForce Now support Nvidia Highlights. Click here for more information.
What input options are available for GeForce Now?
You can play using a controller, keyboard and mouse, or using on-screen touch controls if you're using an iOS or Android device with a touchscreen. For information on if a specific controller is supported, please check your device's requirements (listed earlier in this post).
GeForce Now is installing the game to my own machine! What gives?
Don't worry: the game is not installing to your device. Because it streams the Steam / Uplay / Epic / Origin client, and the game sometimes needs to be prepared on Nvidia's hardware, it will look like you're, say, running Steam on your device and installing your game to it. It is not actually doing that, however, so don't worry-- your local storage space is safe.
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