Nvidia GeForce Now Review: Cloud Gaming Service Allows Turns PCs Into State-Of-The-Art Gaming Rigs
GeForce Now, Nvidia's cloud gaming service that promises turn crappy PCs into state-of-the-art gaming rigs is now available for free. The service is currently undergoing open beta testing on the PC and is capable of running more than 160 games at maximum visual settings, at up to 120 fps.
Using the wonder that is cloud computing, Nvidia essentially rents users a speedy virtual gaming PC stored in Nvidia's servers where they can sign into their digital gaming accounts like Steam, Uplay or Battle.net. Users can then install their own games on the virtual gaming PCs within seconds and play them at a cool 120Hz at 1080p resolution.
It should be noted that the cloud gaming service is different than the Nvidia Shield service that shares its name. While the GeForce Now on the Shield essentially works like a game pass that allows users access to a library of games, the PC version allows its users to access a virtual gaming PC on Nvidia's servers and use it to play their own games.
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Announced in last year's Consumer Electronics Show, the PC beta was originally set to launch in March 2017. However, this was delayed and while the beta did launch on October, it was only available for Mac users. But a delayed beta is just one of the issues Nvidia has to face to implement what is perhaps every gamer's wet dream.
Getting game-streaming right can be tricky with similar services experiencing latency issues, visual artifacts, and more. While Nvidia's resources are considerable, it's unlikely that they are immune to these issues. Whatever the case, the verdict should be reserved until after the free beta has concluded.
For those looking to try the service, the GeForce Now requirements include an Intel Core i3 CPU at 3.1GHz, 4GB RAM, and a DX9 GPU. Internet requirements are a bit hefty though with the minimum connection requirement being 25Mbps, and the recommendation is 50Mbps or higher.
The service will be free for the duration of the beta. Once it's over though, a virtual PC with GeForce GTX 1060-class graphics will cost $25 for 20 hours.
