GeForce Now Supercharges Steam Deck with Native App: RTX Gaming on the Go!
Steam Deck users, rejoice! The highly anticipated native GeForce Now app has officially arrived, promising a significant boost to your handheld gaming experience. Say goodbye to complicated workarounds and hello to seamless cloud gaming, bringing powerful RTX-powered visuals and extended battery life to your fingertips.
Historically, getting GeForce Now to work on the Steam Deck required some technical maneuvering. Now, Nvidia has finally delivered a dedicated app, unlocking the full potential of Valve's portable powerhouse for cloud gaming. This means you can stream games at up to 4K/60FPS when connected to a TV, complete with HDR10, NVIDIA DLSS, and Reflex technologies on supported titles. Experience graphical fidelity previously unattainable on the Steam Deck's native hardware.
One of the biggest advantages of the GeForce Now app is its ability to let you play games that would otherwise be impossible to run on the Steam Deck due to performance limitations, lack of support, or incompatibilities with the Steam Deck's Linux-based operating system. Destiny 2, for instance, which is typically blocked from running locally unless you install Windows, is now readily playable through the app. Imagine playing graphically demanding titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 at max settings, all without straining your device’s hardware or draining the battery.
Tests by The Verge and others confirm that playing games through GeForce Now significantly reduces battery consumption, allowing you to enjoy longer gaming sessions. Your Steam Deck essentially becomes a streaming device, offloading the heavy rendering to Nvidia's powerful cloud servers.
The GeForce Now service offers different subscription tiers, with the premium "Ultimate" membership granting access to Nvidia's RTX 4080 GPUs. This allows for premium features like DLSS 4.0 and Ray Tracing that the Steam Deck can't achieve on its own. While a monthly subscription of $20 might seem steep to some, the accessibility it provides and access to a vast library of titles, including those from Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft, Battle.net, and Xbox, with over 180 supported PC Game Pass titles.
To celebrate the launch, NVIDIA is even giving away two prize bundles, each including a Steam Deck OLED and Steam Deck Dock, along with free GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW's social media channels for a chance to win.
With GeForce Now, the Steam Deck is revitalized, bridging the gap between a handheld console and a high-end gaming PC. What are your thoughts on cloud gaming? Will you be giving the native GeForce Now app a try? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
