Nvidia announced a new way for PC and Mac users to play the latest games without the need for powerful hardware. A new version of the company’s GeForce Now service gives subscribers cloud-based access to a GTX 1060-equipped rig, which can stream gameplay to their system.
Upon signing into GeForce Now, users are presented with a standard Windows desktop that can be used to open up services like Steam, GOG, and Battle.net, among others. From there, it’s just a matter of installing the desired game from their existing library.
Nvidia previously launched the GeForce Now service in October 2015 — however, its scope was quite different at that time. Usage was limited to the company’s Shield family of portable gaming devices, tablets, and set-top boxes, and users paid a monthly subscription fee for access to a library of titles.
However, GeForce Now will take a different approach to pricing, as users will pay for a certain amount of hours. It will cost $25 to spend 20 hours gaming on a PC with a GTX 1060 graphics card, or 10 hours of access to a system with a GTX 1080 graphics card, according to a report from Ars Technica.
It remains to be seen whether this price point will hinder the service, especially given that users have to buy their own games on top of the hourly fee. However, it will definitely appeal to certain audiences — for instance, Mac devotees who would otherwise need to invest in another piece of hardware to play PC-only releases.
Nvidia plans to run an early access period for GeForce Now in March, with its official launch following later in the spring. It’s expected that the service will initially be exclusive to the United States before being rolled out in other regions.
