Here’s Why GeForce NOW Is the Best Cloud Gaming Service

Cloud gaming platforms have surged over the final a number of years, bringing out contenders like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna. But considered one of them reigns above the relaxation. Here are 5 the explanation why NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW is the finest cloud gaming possibility out there, bar none.

Industry-Leading GPU Power

To kick issues off, GeForce NOW is powered by a few of the best possible {hardware} cash should purchase — not simply in the cloud however for shopper gaming PCs, as properly. At the high finish, you may subscribe for precedence entry to an RTX 3080 GPU, a bit of package that’s been notoriously arduous to come back by since the pandemic, although you can occasionally find one on Amazon. This tier can run video games on “extremely” settings at 1440p/120 FPS or 4K/60 FPS when enjoying on PC or Mac.

Even on the low finish, GeForce NOW’s base Priority and free tiers are ok to ship a high quality gaming expertise at as much as 1080p/60 FPS. While this doesn’t sound like a number of efficiency, these tiers match and sometimes exceed the graphical output you’ll discover on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia’s free possibility (Stadia Pro can stream at 4K and as much as 60 FPS, however provided that the video games are correctly optimized).

Finally, GeForce NOW’s RTX 3080 and Priority tiers include ray-tracing capabilities, a function that’s solely at the moment supported on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

It’s Got the Games

Performance alone is sufficient to put GeForce NOW forward of the pack, however it additionally boasts the largest sport library out there in the cloud. As of May 2022, GeForce NOW formally helps greater than 1,300 titles with 118 of them out there to play without cost.

The better part is that each one of those video games come instantly out of your favourite PC sport shops, together with Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and EA Origin. That means lots of the video games you already personal may be performed via GeForce NOW with out having to rebuy them (like on Google’s Stadia) or subscribe to entry them (like on Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon’s Luna). You even get to deliver over any save knowledge you’ve gotten saved in companies like Steam Cloud.

Serving up the coup de grâce to rivals in every single place, GeForce NOW can be the first mainstream cloud gaming platform to formally assist a Playstation Studios unique title, God of War.

A Massive Global Footprint

Having the capability to play nice video games on highly effective {hardware} in the cloud is barely helpful should you can truly entry them. When it involves cloud gaming infrastructure, GeForce NOW has the largest international footprint with 60 officially supported regions and 10 GeForce NOW Alliance partners.

The second finest contender when it comes to international attain is Xbox Cloud Gaming with 26 officially supported regions. That’s adopted up intently by Stadia with 22 regions, after which Luna, which at the moment solely offers service to the mainland United States.

In quick, GeForce NOW is the most generally out there cloud gaming service on the planet; nonetheless, it’s price mentioning that the premium RTX 3080 tier isn’t offered in all supported locations.

Play PC Games on All of Your Devices

While multi-device assist is nothing new in the cloud gaming area, it’s price noting that GeForce NOW is the solely service that delivers the most energy, the most video games, and the largest regional protection to a broad vary of system kind elements.

As of as we speak, GeForce NOW runs in the browser and via a native app on Windows PCs and macOS computer systems. For gaming on the go, there’s the GeForce NOW app for Android and a web app for iPhone and iPad. Some Android TVs, together with Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield TV, could make use of the official GFN app from the Google Play Store. Players may even entry GeForce NOW with a Chromebook via the Chrome browser or on an Xbox through the Microsoft Edge browser.

So whether or not you wish to play in your PC, relax on the sofa, or sport in mattress (we’re not judging), GeForce NOW may be loved in all of those locations.

The Least Latency (At Least for Me)

Not solely is latency the bane of any aggressive gamer, however it’s additionally considered one of the greatest issues with cloud gaming. That’s as a result of, in contrast to native video games that run instantly in your PC, cloud video games require a steady loop of knowledge to be piped between a goal system and the sport server. A single disruption on this connection will end in gameplay latency, graphical pixelation, and in excessive circumstances, the connection might be severed completely.

Each cloud gaming platform tackles latency in distinctive methods. Stadia and Luna each make use of Wi-Fi-enabled controllers that hyperlink on to the server that’s streaming the sport, thus lowering lag and making a tighter participant expertise. Xbox Cloud Gaming depends solely on a regular Bluetooth (or wired) Xbox controller, and though some gamers report a lag-free expertise, my inside exams have been fairly dismal.

Then there’s GeForce NOW, which helps each wired and Bluetooth mice, keyboards, and controllers. In my expertise, GeForce NOW affords the lowest latency of the bunch, with my numbers normally hovering between 18-28ms throughout any given session.

That stated, your expertise with every platform could differ primarily based in your web connection, area, and distance out of your nearest cloud gaming server facility.

How to Try Out GeForce NOW

While GeForce NOW is at the moment a number one power in the cloud gaming area, it’s nonetheless topic to the identical limitations as its rivals, particularly in that efficiency can differ from participant to participant. The finest approach to see in case your web connection is steady sufficient for cloud gaming is to try out some free games on GeForce NOW’s free tier.

Then should you like the service, you may subscribe to a Priority entry plan for $9.99 a month or $49.99 ($9.95 off) for six months. This possibility will get you a ray-tracing-enabled rig with as much as 1080p/60 FPS, zero or decreased wait occasions (relying on the demand in your area), and six-hour gaming periods.

For the absolute top-tier expertise, GeForce NOW’s RTX 3080 plan at $19.99 per thirty days — or $99.99 ($19.95 off) for six months — nets you an RTX 3080 rig with 1080p/4K decision and 120/60 FPS, ray-tracing capabilities on supported video games, no wait occasions, and eight-hour play periods.