Nvidia has just unveiled a new streaming service that lets you play high-quality modern video games right in your browser.
That does away with the need to have a powerful and expensive next-generation console, or a kitted-out gaming PC.
It is similar to services offered by Google Stadia, PlayStation Now and Amazon Gaming.
And the best news; it’s free (kind of).
GeForce Now has a free-to-play plan which gives you access to your own games on Steam, Epic Games Store and other online storefronts that run on PC. That means if you currently have a Fortnite subscription on your machine at home, you will be able to play it via GeForce Now.
It works by running on servers all around the world that will let you stream from the closest server to you. This bit is rather important, because to maximize performance Nvidia only wants GeForce Now users streaming from a server in their region.
First, the bad news.
There is currently no GeForce Now server in the region. Not in Saudi Arabia and not in the UAE, Kuwait or Bahrain. That means when visit GeForce Now you get a big warning that says “GeForce Now is currently not supported in your region”.
For people without a VPN (which remains very much a murky technological area in the Middle East) or a games-friendly DNS provider, that means you’re out of luck.
Fortunately, there is a button on the website that lets you be notified when the service is available in the UAE.
We have reached out to Nvidia and the GeForce Now team for some clarity on when the service will be available here in the UAE.
For context, streaming services are always late to the Middle East region. Rival gaming streaming platforms are still yet to arrive on our sandy shores, and many video games lack regional servers (Valorant developer Riot Games only flicked the switch on their servers last month).
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