NVIDIA, the world’s largest graphics chip manufacturer, has announced the largest ever upgrade to its cloud gaming streaming service ‘GeForce Now’.
The core of this revamp is the implementation of graphics performance at the level of the next-generation ‘Blackwell’ architecture-based RTX 5080 in the cloud environment.
GeForce Now ‘Ultimate’ plan users can experience RTX 5080-level performance without any additional charges. NVIDIA stated that this update provides “computing power three times stronger than PlayStation 5 Pro”.
According to domestic pricing, the Ultimate plan is set at 39,900 won for 30 days and 29,900 won for a 7-day pass. The service performance has been significantly enhanced while maintaining the existing prices. This decision is also seen as having the effect of alleviating concerns from some users who were inconvenienced by the recent game time limit policy (up to 100 hours).
NVIDIA also unveiled a new feature called ‘Install-to-Play’. So far, users could only enjoy games pre-uploaded by NVIDIA in a streaming format, but now they will be able to directly install and play games themselves.
If game developers allow this feature, users will be able to instantly install and run games on the GeForce Now environment as if installing on a PC. As a result, the company predicts that the range of supported games will nearly double.
However, there are restrictions. The GeForce Now server operates on a session basis, so even if a game is installed, it will need to be reinstalled whenever the server is turned on or off. The default storage space provided is only 100GB.
Along with this update, NVIDIA also introduced the ‘Cinematic Quality Streaming (CQS)’ mode. This mode aims to surpass the graphics quality limitations of existing cloud gaming and deliver PC game-level graphics.
To achieve this, HDR10, color sampling technology (YUV 4:4:4), and AI video correction functions have been applied. Additionally, it supports up to 5K resolution with 120 frames per second, 1,440p with 240 frames per second, and 1,080p with 360 frames per second. The service can also be used directly with the latest LG TVs and some gaming monitors.
NVIDIA emphasized that it is evolving GeForce Now not as a mere cloud streaming service, but to offer an experience similar to using an actual gaming PC. The company stated, “We will continue to develop GeForce Now so it feels like a local gaming PC.”
Experts predict that this upgrade will significantly shake up the competitive landscape of the cloud gaming market. Although global companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Sony operate similar services, the combination of ‘RTX 5080-level performance’ and ‘high-quality streaming’ is currently seen as a differentiating point that only NVIDIA can offer.
