What’s happened? Nvidia is rolling out RTX 5080-class servers to GeForce Now. This brings one of the best graphics cards to the mainstream market, boosting your gameplay if you’re willing to pay a subscription.
- The RTX 5080-class GPUs will be available as part of the Ultimate tier, which costs $19.99/month.
- Servers deliver up to 5K/120 frames per second (fps) streaming and 1080p/360 fps; 1440p/240 fps mode is also supported.
- Nvidia is also adding a new Install-to-Play feature that will let you play and install many more games.
- Install-to-Play adds access to 2,352 new titles from the Steam Cloud Play catalog, says The Verge.
- It’s worth noting that Install-to-Play games will need to be downloaded and installed anew each time you play, but you can pay extra to get persistent storage.
- Persistent storage add-ons cost $2.99 (200GB), $4.99 (500GB), $7.99 (1TB) monthly.
This is important because: This is the biggest GeForce Now update since the launch of the RTX 4080 Ultimate tier.
- Blackwell servers add DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation and Reflex, enabling ultra-high frame rate streaming.
- Adding Install-to-Play drastically improves the number of games available, now reaching up to 4,500 titles.
- Nvidia claims up to 2.8x gaming uplift on servers (with heavy MFG), but real-world gains depend on game and settings.
- The price remaining the same as before is an unexpected, but welcome perk, although persistent storage adds to the monthly subscription.
Recommended Videos
Why should I care? You can now stream thousands of near-maxed PC games to almost any device, including budget desktops and laptops, phones, and gaming handhelds.
- Outside of the raw boost from using RTX 5080 pods, Nvidia is also adding improvements for various devices.
- For instance, Steam Deck OLED users can now run games at the native 90Hz resolution; there’s a native LG app that offers up to 4K/120 fps on supported TVs); Logitech gets haptic wheels support.
- Persistent storage means Install-to-Play games don’t need a fresh download every session, although it ups the $20/month price of the Ultimate tier.
OK, what’s next? Expect a phased RTX 5080 rollout starting in September, broader onboarding via Install-to-Play, and expanding device support.
- To start with, the Ultimate tier will include both RTX 5080 and RTX 4080 servers.
- Nvidia told The Verge that it’d simply take time to make the switch from RTX 4080 to the RTX 5080, implying that the 4080 pods will one day be retired.
- AAA games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Baldur’s Gate 3 get RTX 5080 support right away.
