It breaks open the doors of support. Instead of games that are installed and ready to go, you can install them on a GeForce Now instance (the computer you’re connected to for game streaming). Even massive, 100-plus GB games install in a few minutes. It turns out Nvidia has pretty fast internet at GeForce Now data centers.
I2P only works with Steam games right now, but Nvidia has built it uniquely. With a Performance or Ultimate membership, you get 100 GB of single-session storage. You can install a game and play it, but when you close the session, your game goes away (games with cloud saves still sync). You can buy extra persistent storage, and here’s what they cost: 200 GB for $3 per month, 500 GB for $5 per month, and 1 TB for $8 per month.
This extra storage doesn’t just give you more space. It’s persistent, so your installed games will continue between sessions. Nvidia even keeps your saves safe in persistent storage if the title you’re playing doesn’t support Steam Cloud saves. It’s like having your own little (but extremely powerful) gaming PC in the cloud.
The Gold Standard of Cloud Gaming
GeForce Now via Jacob Roach
Nvidia has, slowly but surely, cemented GeForce Now as the de facto cloud gaming service. Google’s Stadia bombastically failed, Amazon’s Luna slowly flopped, and Microsoft and Sony’s efforts, although ongoing, are largely focused on gamers who already have a console. GeForce Now has persisted, and after testing the Blackwell update, it’s easy to see why.
There’s a ruthless pursuit with game support, which is only bolstered by I2P titles. Steam is there, but Nvidia also supports most games on Microsoft’s PC Game Pass, along with a wide swath of titles on the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and the EA app. There’s even a native Steam Deck app.
Cloud gaming issues still apply. Particularly on Wi-Fi, I’d occasionally stumble on dropped packets and brief, intense stutters. In one such case, while playing Silksong, I was midway through a dense platforming section when the packet loss sent me to my death. There are certain realities of streaming a game over the internet that an RTX 5080 can’t solve.
But this is an upgrade that still showcases how far GeForce Now has come. No, I can’t cram an RTX 5080 into a MacBook. But GeForce Now gets pretty darn close.
