Nvidia's streaming service, GeForce Now has long been exclusive to the company's Shield line up of devices. Not any more. The company announced at CES 2018 that GeForce Now is finally available for Windows PCs via free public beta.
What this means is, you'll be able to play the latest PC games at maximum settings with smooth frame rates on a less than capable desktop PC or laptop according to Nvidia. Though keep in mind that this is at 1080p resolution up to 120 frames per second. So if you were expecting 4K and HDR on your ageing Windows netbook, think again. You can sign up for the GeForce Now public beta waitlist to be notified when you're granted access.
GeForce Now is currently available in public beta in North America and Europe. While the company hasn't explicitly stated it, GeForce Now is available in India as well. We were able to access it on an Nvidia Shield without having to resort to a VPN. Chances are, GeForce Now should be accessible via your PC too. Since GeForce Now is powered by hardware in the cloud, and streamed over the Internet, you'll need high download speeds. Nvidia recommends 50Mbps for full-HD 60fps gaming, and 25Mbps for HD 60fps, and over 10Mbps for HD 30fps. Factor in the fact that the closest server is in Europe, and you might experience undesirable lag.
At the moment, Nvidia hasn't suggested when it plans to take GeForce Now beyond beta on PCs. This is perhaps an attempt to balance its streaming ambitions with its successful GPU business. Nonetheless, we won't be surprised to see it stick to its Rs. 650 a month price point when it inevitably launches.
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