Nvidia GeForce Now getting a game-changing update that won't please everyone

(Image credit: Nvidia)

published 7 November 2024

Quick Summary

An update is coming to GeForce Now at the start of 2025 that introduces monthly playtime caps.

It'll affect all new paid members, while those who subscribe before the end of this year will get another year of unlimited play.

Nvidia GeForce Now has been going great guns for several years now, even adding a suite of upgraded features along the way. However, the latest confirmed update might not be quite as popular.

The company has revealed that its cloud gaming service will undergo a significant change in 2025, which will mainly affect Performance (formerly Priority) and Ultimate subscribers on gaming laptops or any other supported device.

According to the official GeForce Now blog a new 100-hour monthly time cap will be enforced "at the start of next year". This allowance will be applied to all new players who subscribe from 1 January 2025.

Thankfully, it won't apply to active paid members who have subscribed before then – for a year, at least. The cap will not be introduced for them until January 2026.

That means, even if you've never used GeForce Now before, if you subscribe to one of the paid plans before the end of the year, you will continue to get unlimited playtime throughout 2025.

Even those that do become affected will find that playtime can also roll forward, so up to 15 hours of unused time from the month before can be added to the next month's total.

Additional hours will also be available for purchase, at $2.99 for 15 more hours on Performance, $5.99 for 15 on Ultimate.

To sweeten the pill, as well as change its name from Priority, Nvidia has also increased the capabilities of its Performance tier – from 1080p streaming to 1440p. Ultrawide resolutions are now also supported.

Ultimate members will continue to get up to 4K 120Hz gameplay, or 1080p 240Hz.

How much is Nvidia GeForce Now?

Nvidia offers three GeForce Now tiers, starting with a completely free option. Called "Free" for obvious reasons, it lets you play on a basic rig, is ad-supported and is restricted to just 1 hour of play per session. You have to log out and back in again to continue.

You are likely to also experience long queues before your game is ready.

Performance (formerly Priority) costs £9.99 / $9.99 per month or £49.99 / $49.99 for a 6-month pass. It allows you to play for up to 6 hours at a time and at 1440p 60fps with ray tracing (where supported).

The Ultimate subscription is more expensive but gives you access to the very best gaming rig, with up to 4K 120fps or 1080p 240fps play and ray tracing. It is priced at £19.99 / $19.99 per month, or £99.99 / $99.99 for 6-months of access.

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