GeForce Now free vs paid editions: Which should you get?

When it comes to the question of GeForce Now free vs. paid, both membership options represent what is likely the best way to stream games at the moment. While the free version has some severe limits on it, it’s a great way to give game streaming a chance without investing anything besides your time. On the other hand, subscribing to the Founders membership is a valuable way to go about streaming games in the longterm, despite the worry that a price rise may occur sometime in the future.

What is NVIDIA GeForce Now?

GeForce Now is a game streaming service that allows players to access NVIDIA’s servers to stream games you already own. Unlike other services that have you buy games in order to play them on a service, GeForce Now allows players to play a lot of what is in their PC gaming library already. Playing games using GeForce Now is extremely easy as well, no matter which version of it you choose to use or which platform you use it for. All players have to do is download the app and search for a game you’re looking to play, install it, and you’ll be ready to play.

GeForce Now supports a ton of games, with virtually all of your Steam library supported throughout the service along with titles that appear on Uplay, the Epic Games Store, and more. Unfortunately, there are some limitations to what you can play. If you’re curious about whether your game is supported on GeForce Now, make sure to head over to NVIDIA’s site, where you can search for a title and see if it’s available. This can change often depending on licensing deals.

Is GeForce Now for you?

The landscape of gaming is one that’s constantly changing, and as more and more players adapt to the digital future, game streaming services will only continue to grow. When it comes to GeForce Now, the ideal user is someone who might want to experience high-end PC gaming but doesn’t have the money or knowledge to invest in it just yet. Building a gaming rig can be an expensive venture, especially if you want to be able to max out some of the settings of the latest games. GeForce Now offers an incredibly cheap way of playing games at their highest settings, and only requires you to own the game.

GeForce Now offers an incredibly cheap way of playing games at their highest settings.

Perhaps the greatest thing about GeForce Now is that it doesn’t require a powerful device to use it. It’s made specifically for those who might own a Mac, NVIDIA Shield, lower end PC, or Android mobile device and want to play games across platforms. As long as you have one of the compatible devices, you’re good to start.

The only other thing that you definitely will need in order to get the best out of GeForce Now is a solid internet connection, as the service requires a minimum of 15Mbps download speed in order to play. However, if you can cross that hurdle, then GeForce Now is the best option for you, and will allow you to test out what it’s like playing on a high-end gaming PC without needing to worry about the aspect of owning one just yet.

GeForce Now free vs paid: Which is best?

Both versions of GeForce Now offer players the service, but if you’re going to use one, the Founders membership is almost too good to pass up. Not only do you not have to wait in queues while loading into games, but you’ll also have much longer game sessions available to you, which is almost a must.

On top of the benefits, the pricing for GeForce Now’s Founders membership is also a great deal. At just $5 per month, GeForce Now is by far the cheapest subscription service that allows you to stream games from other devices, and because it pairs itself with your personal gaming library, there are no other fees that must be added on top of it. The free version is a great chance to get yourself used to GeForce Now, but the Founders membership is a must buy if you’re serious about game streaming.

A new way to play

NVIDIA GeForce Now Founders membership

$5/month at NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s cloud game streaming service is one of the best available today, delivering lag-free gaming at 1080p/60FPS. Playing games is a breeze, and the fact that you don’t have to purchase any additional games is a huge plus.

Give it a try

NVIDIA GeForce Now Free membership

Free at NVIDIA

For those not ready to dive into a paid subscription yet, the free option of GeForce Now exists in order to give players a chance to try out the service. You may be limited to one-hour sessions, but it’ll give you a chance to see just how good the service is.