Five things you need to know about GeForce NOW
PC gaming on your sofa
In modern day gaming circles, convenience is king. Today’s gamers might not appreciate the tales of the “olden days” from their dads, about when you were forced to leave your house and go to an actual store to buy a costly disc containing the new game you wanted to play.
NVIDIA’s new GeForce NOW service is the epitome of everything that is currently great about the best in next-gen, on-demand gaming. Members of GeForce NOW’s exclusive club get high-quality PC games that they can play instantly and easily on a SHIELD device. What’s not to like?
So what do you need to know? Essentially, you need to know that the service is awesome and you need to check it out immediately. However, if you need a little more convincing, here are some stone cold facts.
NVIDIA designed every element of GeForce NOW to work together seamlessly to provide you with the best possible streaming experience. Powered by NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX technology, GeForce NOW is the only cloud-gaming service to stream at up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second.
2.GeForce NOW is “the new way to game”NVIDIA wants to keep its SHIELD customers happy and playing. With GeForce NOW, NVIDIA brings PC games, with all of their inherently rich visuals and depth, to the SHIELD platform, while leaving all the complexity typically associated with them behind.
Members do not have to think about downloads, drivers, or even hardware upgrades—NVIDIA handles all of that for you. Think of GeForce NOW like an exclusive club. If you own an NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV, SHIELD tablet or SHIELD portable then GeForce NOW’s gaming supercomputers will deliver the latest, critically acclaimed games right to your fingertips.
3. So what do I need to play?Well, as mentioned above, you’ll need an NVIDIA SHIELD device. And you’ll also need a solid broadband Internet service with a fast Wi-Fi connection. NVIDIA recommends a minimum broadband speed of at least 10Mbps, and a SHIELD Ready 5 GHz Wi-Fi router, to stream at 720p resolution and 60 fps (frames per second).
A minimum connection speed of 25Mbps is required to stream at 1080p resolution and 60 fps. However, the faster your home network is, the better, is your rule of thumb.
We should also be clear that, for those hardcore SHIELD gamers who demand top-end 1080p, 60 fps performance, the best option may be to directly connect your SHIELD device to your router with a wired ethernet connection for the ultimate streaming experience.
4. What’s in the GeForce NOW game library?
A little bit of everything—and then some. Members get instant access to a library of more than 60 popular games to play on-demand, as much as they want.
Called the “Membership Pack”, this library includes a diverse assortment of games from all genres—from fighting games like Street Fighter IV to family friendly titles like LEGO Marvel Superheroes—and any gamer will find something to enjoy. Check the full list out here.
5. But wait—there’s more!
Another key benefit provided by your GeForce NOW membership is the option to purchase new game releases from the GeForce NOW store and play them instantly. You’ll find these titles listed under the “Buy and Play Instantly” category inside the GeForce NOW app.
NVIDIA is working with publishers to bring as many new releases to the store as possible. Imagine playing a new game like The Witcher 3 the instant in comes out, with just a button press. With GeForce NOW you can do exactly that!
