Nvidia updates its GeForce Now game-streaming service with the RTX 5080

Nvidia has rolled out its latest GeForce Now upgrade, replacing RTX 4080 servers with the new Blackwell RTX 5080 SuperPods. 

According to the American chipmaker, the update is ideal for subscribers of its Ultimate tier, who are promised higher performance, lower latency, and expanded game catalogue without an additional cost if they choose to upgrade.

Blackwell RTX 5080 SuperPods users can expect smoother gameplay with its latest rendering technology, Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 4 technology, and new AI-upscaling features. The firm mentioned it would add releases such as DUNE: Awakening, Cronos: The New Dawn, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as titles that will showcase the GPU’s power.

“NVIDIA Blackwell RTX servers are starting to power up worldwide, so more members can start streaming with unprecedented performance on virtually any device, including PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, LG TVs (4K at 120Hz) and even Steam Decks (now up to 90 fps),” the company wrote on its webpage.

Adding titles on the game library with Install-to-Play

Alongside the hardware upgrade, Nvidia has introduced a new Install-to-Play feature that doubles the GeForce Now library. The service now supports nearly 4,500 games, up from about 2,300 previously available.

Install-to-Play, or I2P, lets gamers temporarily install games onto Nvidia’s streaming servers. Even large titles exceeding 100 gigabytes can be downloaded in minutes, attributed to the data centers’ high-speed infrastructure. Still, for the moment, it only works with Steam titles, although Nvidia says it has developed the system to feel like a “dedicated cloud gaming PC.”

Performance and Ultimate members receive 100 gigabytes of single-session storage by default. Once a session ends, games vanish unless players subscribe to persistent storage plans for them to remain intact, including those without Steam cloud support. 

Prices start at $3 monthly for 200 gigabytes, $5 for 500 gigabytes, and $8 for one terabyte. 

New weekly updates, featuring Gearbox’ Borderlands 4

As part of its regular content cycle, Nvidia is debuting the RTX 5080 SuperPods launch with three new games this week, including Borderlands 4. The company noted that the title is available at no extra cost for new 12-month Ultimate membership bundles.

Nvidia has promised gamers a steady pace of new game releases through “GFN Thursday,” a weekly schedule of updates where it announces additional supported titles. 

Sifting through the company’s wow factors, performance, and input latency are still fundamental issues for cloud gaming on consoles, steamdeck, and handhelds. And as much as the chipmaker has done a lot for adding more titles, its cloud gaming experience is still in the “playable” tier.

According to WIRED, fast-paced and FPS-hungry titles like Silksong have weaknesses, with minor stutters leading to missed jumps and imprecise combat.

Nvidia’s low-latency improvements recorded some gains in certain conditions. Tests recorded 1080p gameplay at 360 frames per second and 1440p at 240 frames per second, with latency dropping to around 28 milliseconds in Silksong. 

Nvidia tries out cinematic streaming mode

Nvidia is trying to complement higher frame rates through a new Cinematic streaming mode optimized for 4K visuals at 60 frames per second. The mode improves image quality by switching to 4:4:4 color sampling instead of the more common 4:2:0, solving one of the display weaknesses of cloud gaming.

The company also deployed AI-powered filters to sharpen heads-up displays and menus, features that often appear blurred when streamed. When WIRED tested Cyberpunk 2077 on a MacBook Air, graphics ran at maximum settings with consistent 60 fps performance. 

Latency ranged between 35 and 40 milliseconds (ms) on WiFi, which is relatively sweet for those looking for smooth gameplay. However, on the visual fidelity end of the stick, there were several issues found.

If you were to play the GTA-alike game from a distance, on your 4K-rendering HDMI 2.1 television, there is no harm, no foul. But a gamer who is up and close to a monitor with the same output will see fine details appear washed out. Researchers said the effect was like “looking through a faint layer of frosted glass.”

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