Recently, video game streaming services such as Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, PlayStation Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming have begun generating attention due to their accessibility and ease of use. It's no surprise then that industry giant Nvidia has also decided to join in by offering their own cloud gaming service: Nvidia GeForce Now. While the technology is relatively new, Nvidia GeForce Now includes a number of exclusive features that have ultimately changed PC gaming for the better.
Cloud gaming services have gained popularity recently and allow users to stream the games they own on a provider's dedicated hardware. While the concept has generated controversy over game ownership concerns, it has also helped make PC gaming more accessible to the average consumer. With Nvidia GeForce Now recently leaving beta, it has quickly become one of the best cloud gaming options available on the market.
What Nvidia GeForce Now Is
The concept of cloud gaming services is similar to any other media streaming service such as YouTube or Netflix. The media doesn't exist on a physical storage that the user owns but rather, a different server that sends video data to a personal device. In the case of cloud gaming, the game itself runs on a different computer which streams the audio and video to players while receiving their inputs through keyboard and mouse. As expected, while cloud gaming services offer fantastic accessibility to a user's game library without expensive investment, they still require a strong internet connection.
With cloud gaming services gaining traction, Nvidia GeForce Now is Nvidia's version of the service and it comes with a number of unique features that can't be found elsewhere. It focuses specifically on the PC gaming experience which allows users access to virtual PCs where they are able to download clients like Steam to install games onto the system. This allows users to access their game libraries without having to purchase any of the games again. As long as users have a solid internet connection, they will be able to play games at 1080p and 60 FPS with little input lag.
How Nvidia GeForce Is Changing PC Gaming
While there are a number of cloud gaming services available on the market, only a select few are focused on PC gaming. As a result, Nvidia GeForce Now is able to open up PC gaming to a brand new audience of players. Compared to consoles, PC gaming usually has a higher barrier of entry as a good rig will cost more, will require research on the buyer's part, and has different specifications for different games. With Nvidia GeForce though, PC gaming becomes more accessible as players won't require a build of their own. Instead, they will have access to a high-end PC for a simple monthly subscription fee.
Furthermore, as Nvidia is already a major competitor in the GPU industry, players will be able to utilize up-to-date technology during their gaming sessions. With their remote PCs being powered by Nvidia GPUs, players will have the ability to play their games with real time ray-tracing and Nvidia DLSS support even if the device they use doesn't support it. This brings a big benefit to devices that don't function well with PC gaming such as Macbooks, mobile devices, and Chromebooks. This changes PC gaming in that players no longer need to invest in a good build to reach the highest potential that PC gaming offers.
With the recent shortage of video cards due to cryptomining and the pandemic, prices have drastically soared over the past year and will likely continue to do so in the future. Even users who have the ability and knowledge to build PCs might be limited in hardware because of the rising prices. With cloud gaming services such as Nvidia GeForce Now gaining traction, this hopefully means that more users will have access to strong hardware even as prices for PC components continue to spike.
Nvidia GeForce Now's Drawbacks
Of course, as exciting as this technology is, Nvidia GeForce Now does have a few drawbacks similar to other cloud gaming services. The most obvious one is that while accessibility improves in terms of hardware, it's still held back by the user's internet connection. Nvidia recommends at least 15 Mbps for 720p/60FPS or 25Mbps for 1080p/60FPS performance. Furthermore, a user's router will also impact streaming as latency will likely be an issue unless they're on a 5GHz band. This limits the service to countries and areas which have strong coverage and until the technology improves, it remains an ecological concern due to the bandwidth demands.
Nvidia GeForce Now also has a more limited library compared to other services because of the controversy over game ownership that cloud streaming services has caused. Nvidia GeForce Now is unique in that it doesn't sell users any games or give them a library of curated titles to choose from. Instead, it allows users to link with their Steam, GOG, and Epic accounts to play games they already own. As a result, some publishers requested to have their games removed once Nvidia GeForce Now exited beta which means players won't have access to some titles even if they previously purchased the game. While the decision to pull certain games has generated backlash from players, Nvidia likely can't go against publisher wishes so some players will unfortunately have limited access to their libraries.
The Future of Nvidia GeForce Now
Even with these drawbacks, Nvidia GeForce Now is continuing to evolve and change PC gaming for the better. As the technology improves for cloud game streaming, more and more users will have access to PC gaming instead of being limited by its high barrier of entry. The future of cloud gaming in general seems to be a middle-ground solution that doesn't necessarily replace PC gaming but instead, offers a distinct alternative for users who feel they are limited by their own hardware.
The potential of Nvidia GeForce Now rests on how well they can develop their technology in the future. As it stands right now, it's not just the case of paying a monthly subscription fee as users are essentially required to have a strong internet connection to manage the streaming properly. The improved accessibility for hardware is certainly there with its unique features of ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS but cloud gaming in general might need a few more years before becoming a viable option for everyday users. Although the future of cloud gaming services are difficult to predict right now, Nvidia GeForce Now offers a distinct approach to the concept and this will hopefully shift PC gaming towards a more accessible future.