Continuing the discussion from DIY Computer Omnibus Thread. Builds. Upgrades. New Tech. Etc:
While I was investigating new PC gaming hardware, Nvidia happened to announce that their GeForce Now streaming service will see an upgrade in September. They’ll get RTX 5080-equivalent cards, 5k streaming, 2x the amount of playable games (publishers still have to opt in, but you no longer have to wait for Nvidia to manually approve their requests), and other minor features.
For $20/mo for the Ultimate plan, this is a great value for anyone wanting to play PC games but lacking a dedicated gaming PC (which are very expensive these days). It works via an app, or a browser window if you prefer, and runs on everything from laptops to tablets/iPads to phones to smart TVs. The app runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, or you can use a standard web browser.
I’ve been using the service for many years now, and it’s beenwonderful… miles and miles better than Google’s defunct Stadia service, minimal lag (mostly unnoticeable), great graphics, good value, etc. You just need a fast enough internet connection, preferably 100 Mbps (for 4k-5k). Hardwired ethernet will work a lot better than Wi-Fi, though in a pinch, wireless will still work too.
Steam Deck owners (like @Mahaloth) might also be excited about this, since it allows playing supported games, with Ultra graphics, at full-resolution 90 FPS (compared to the usual 20-30 FPS on low-ish settings). It should dramatically prolong the battery life and decrease heat and noise too, since the games run on their servers and just streams to the Deck.