What you need to know
- NVIDIA announced major changes to its GeForce Now memberships today.
- The Priority membership will be renamed to the Performance membership.
- That membership will see an elevation of streaming from 1080p to up to 1440p resolution.
- Performance members will also gain support for ultrawide resolutions and saving in-game graphics settings across streaming sessions.
- Anyone who signs up as an Ultimate or Performance member on or after January 1, 2025 will be limited to a monthly playtime max of 100 hours.
- Those with active NVIDIA GeForce Now memberships will continue to be able to play without time limits until January 1, 2026.
As a tech enthusiast with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I have to admit that NVIDIA’s latest move with GeForce Now has left me both intrigued and slightly concerned. On one hand, it’s great to see the Performance tier getting an upgrade to 1440p resolution and ultrawide support – features that were previously exclusive to the Ultimate membership. This makes the Performance tier a more attractive option for many gamers like myself who don’t necessarily need the highest-end performance available.
Changes are afoot for NVIDIA GeForce Now, some of which might not be met with enthusiasm. The “Priority” subscription will soon be renamed to “Performance,” and this change comes with a few perks such as the ability to stream up to 1440p resolution and ultrawide resolutions. Additionally, Performance members can save their in-game graphics settings across sessions. However, the news that could potentially overshadow these improvements is NVIDIA’s decision to implement playtime limits on its GeForce Now subscribers.
Initially, my gut feeling is that the introduction of playtime limits might be met with resistance. However, NVIDIA asserts that merely 6% of their members will experience this change. It’s intriguing to contemplate how those not affected by the adjustment will respond to the idea of playtime caps. To begin with, I’ll share some positive aspects about Priority memberships, as it’s always refreshing to focus on the good news first. Next, I’ll delve deeper into understanding how these playtime limits will function and why NVIDIA feels they are necessary.
What is NVIDIA GeForce Now?
A significant shift is happening with NVIDIA GeForce Now, so let me explain what it is in a simple manner: Essentially, it’s a service that allows you to stream games you already own, using the power of NVIDIA’s cutting-edge hardware. In other words, instead of playing games on your device directly, they are run remotely and then sent to your device for seamless play. GeForce Now offers top-tier performance in cloud gaming, making it one of the best options available.
Different from certain streaming platforms that offer a constantly changing collection of content, GeForce Now serves as the powerhouse for your streaming needs. Instead of offering a predefined library, you utilize games you already own or have access to from various marketplaces like Steam, Epic Games, Ubisoft, and Microsoft. You can then stream these games across numerous devices. While not available on every device with an internet connection, GeForce Now functions as if it is. The service is accessible on iOS, Android, several smart TVs, and can be played on Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS.
NVIDIA renames GeForce Now membership tier
NVIDIA is planning to rechristen its GeForce Now Priority membership as “Performance membership.” This name change will coincide with numerous improvements for this tier, such as increased resolution support (even up to ultrawide resolutions) and the capability to utilize these advanced settings. The new features make the “Performance” label more suitable, as they outshine those of the current offering, though it’s worth noting that the Performance tier still falls short of the Ultimate one in terms of specs. Many top-tier gaming handheld devices offer resolutions at 1440p or less, making 4K gaming unnecessary for some gamers. Similarly, a significant number of premium gaming monitors also operate at 1440p or below. Consequently, the Performance membership offered by GeForce Now could appeal to both handheld and desktop gamers alike.
Below is a summary of key features that Performance subscribers can anticipate, as per NVIDIA’s announcement:
- Performance members will elevate their streaming experience with updated 1440p resolution, an upgrade from the previous 1080p limitation.
- Ultrawide resolutions will also be supported, previously only available for Ultimate members.
- Performance members can save their in-game graphics settings across streaming sessions, including for NVIDIA RTX features in supported titles.
The modifications significantly enhance the value of this tier without raising its cost. Remarkably, the improvement in performance doesn’t lead to a hike in pricing. While there are constraints I’ll address later, for just $9.99 a month, you receive a substantial amount of benefits.
Why is there a playtime cap on NVIDIA GeForce Now?
Starting from January 1, 2025, new NVIDIA GeForce Now subscribers who opt for Ultimate or Performance plans will be limited to a maximum of 100 hours per month. However, current paid subscribers will retain their unlimited playtime until January 1, 2026.
NVIDIA shared that they won’t be raising the prices for their GeForce Now Ultimate or Performance plans. Instead, they are setting a limit on the amount of time users can play each month to maintain current pricing levels. In other words, they opted to cap playtime hours rather than increasing costs across the board, ensuring stable prices for an extended period.
6% of members are expected to be impacted by the change as stated by NVIDIA, and I can’t help but feel that implementing a playtime limit is reminiscent of old phone minute restrictions. This sensation intensifies when considering NVIDIA’s rollover minutes policy, which in essence, allows up to 15 hours of unused gameplay time to carry over to the next month automatically.
If you find yourself requiring more gameplay, you can buy extra time whenever necessary, but NVIDIA has yet to disclose the cost for additional playtime.
Is the price of NVIDIA GeForce Now going up?
For now, you can expect the cost of NVIDIA GeForce Now to stay as it is. Instead of raising the price, NVIDIA decided to limit the maximum playtime for their service.
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2024-11-07 20:22