If you’re buying a super-thin, portable, and good-looking laptop, you already know you’re not installing Call of Duty for PC on it. The new Googlebooks also come under the same umbrella. However, Nvidia announced something that might change that equation for buyers who still want to game on the go.
Nvidia just confirmed that the new Googlebooks will get dedicated GeForce Now support before the year ends (via 9To5Google). For a category of laptops that skip discrete graphics processors altogether, that announcement matters.
So why do these laptops need cloud gaming so badly?
Every Googlebook shares the same baseline: 16GB of RAM (up to 32GB), a touchscreen, and a glowing light bar on the lid. That’s the basic criteria to qualify as one. However, none of the announced models pack a dedicated graphics processor that’s capable of running modern video games.
That’s where GeForce Now steps in. It opens the door to demanding PC or AAA games without requiring local hardware. In fact, most of the games showcased at the Googlebook reveal were already running through GeForce Now.
Now, it’s not like the laptops can’t run any video games at all. They can still run the lighter Android or mobile games available on the Play Store. However, GeForce Now lets you play demanding PC games without requiring local hardware.
Can you actually play anything before the dedicated app arrives?
Fortunately, yes. Nvidia’s official announcement only says support lands “later this year.” However, GeForce Now is already accessible via Chrome and Firefox.
Logging into the streaming site in a browser gives you most of the experience already, and the games stream perfectly well for casual sessions. However, for people who want the best possible experience, with higher resolution, frame rates, better visuals, and reduced input latency, the app remains something to be excited about.
And for those catching up, every Googlebook purchase comes with one year of complimentary GeForce Now subscription. Nvidia also added nine new titles to the service this week, including Dune: Awakening, CONTROL Resonant, and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The library keeps growing whether or not you own a Googlebook yet.
