Jan 20, 2023 17:45:00

Overseas review summary of NVIDIA's cloud game service 'GeForce NOW Ultimate', maximum 4K / 120fps play possible without gaming PC

NVIDIA's service '

GeForce NOW ' that allows you to play games via the Internet using a powerful industrial GPU in the data center has a new plan ' GeForce Now Ultimate ' that can be played at up to 4K / 120fps or 1080p / 240fps. Appears from January 19, 2023. Several overseas media that have pre-reviewed such GeForce Now Ultimate have described it as 'although there are issues, it is quite good.'

GFN Thursday: GeForce NOW RTX 4080 Rollout | NVIDIA Blog
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2023/01/19/geforce-now-thursday-jan-19/

Testing Nvidia's GeForce Now RTX 4080, the most advanced cloud gaming platform yet - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/23561989/nvidia-geforce-now-rtx-4080-price-reflex-hands-on-cloud-gaming

Nvidia GeForce Now Review: Is The Ultimate Tier Worth It? - Tech Advisor
https://www.techadvisor.com/article/722934/nvidia-geforce-now-review.html

NVIDIA GeForce Now Ultimate hands-on: The enthusiast's choice for cloud gaming
https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-ge-force-now-ultimate-hands-on-the-enthusiasts-choice-for-cloud-gaming-specs-release-140035365.html

GeForce Now Ultimate first impressions: Streaming has come a really long way | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/01/geforce-now-ultimate-first-impressions-streaming-has-come-a-real-long-way/

GeForce Now's Ultimate 4080 tier: Ultrawide never felt so good
https://9to5google.com/2023/01/19/hands-on-geforce-nows-4080-ultimate-ultrawide/

Nvidia launches GeForce Now Ultimate, and it's SO good | Laptop Mag
https://www.laptopmag.com/news/nvidia-launches-geforce-now-ultimate-and-were-excited

According to NVIDIA, GeForce NOW Ultimate will be provided by a supercomputer called 'GeForce NOW RTX 4080 SuperPOD'. With the GeForce NOW RTX 4080 SuperPOD, not only is it possible to render games at a frame rate of up to 240fps at 4K resolution, but it is also possible to play games using NVIDIA technologies such as NVIDIA Reflex and super resolution technology ' DLSS 3 '. increase.

Overseas media that conducted a preliminary review evaluated GeForce NOW Ultimate as ``Although the number of compatible titles is limited, it is a pretty good service for gamers who do not have a powerful gaming PC.''

The Verge points out that games that support 1080p / 240fps mode are limited to six games such as ' Apex Legends ', ' Fortnite ', and ' Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege '.

Also, in the case of action games such as ' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ', due to the convenience of cloud game services that play games via the Internet, images are compressed, and the image quality deteriorates when the character moves. pointing out. 9TO5Google also pointed out a similar problem and said, 'You may not be able to escape from this problem.'

In addition, The Verge, Tech Advisor , and Ars TECHNICA have pointed out problems with GeForce NOW's compatible titles, and while GeForce NOW can play over 5,000 titles, major publishers such as Bethesda Softworks and Activision Blizzard are using GeForce. As a result of the withdrawal from NOW, it points out the drawback that titles such as ' Fallout ' and ' Call of Duty ' can not be used.

Engadget points out that a high-speed Internet connection is required as a precaution when playing GeForce NOW. NVIDIA says that a minimum speed of 35 Mbps is required when playing games at 1080p / 240 fps, but engadget says, ``When playing games at 4K / 120 fps, you need at least 45 Mbps, so you can go out. It's difficult to play games at 4K, which is the highest setting first.'

Still, according to Tech Advisor, ``Despite the slight differences between local and cloud-based RTX 4080 specifications, the gaming experience on GeForce NOW Ultimate is almost perfect.'' The Verge, who tested with Fortnite that supports ray tracing, NVIDIA Reflex, and DLSS 3, said, ``There was almost no lag during the game, and it was difficult to notice the lag.''

Laptop said, ``Certainly, GeForce NOW Ultimate, which costs $ 20 per month (about 2,500 yen), is expensive, but the average price of a high-performance gaming notebook PC is $ 1,500 (about 190,000 yen), and about 500 for Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 . Imagine not having to pay a dollar (about 64,000 yen).'

Also, with GeForce NOW, you do not need to prepare a specific console or laptop when playing the game, you can play with your own smartphone etc. Laptop recalls, 'Even if I played on a device like an Android tablet, I was able to enjoy the game at about the same level as a console or gaming laptop.'

GeForce NOW Ultimate is available in North America and Europe from January 19, 2023 for $ 19.99 per month (about 2500 yen). However, it is unknown at the time of article creation whether it will be offered in Japan.