Nvidia's game streaming app GeForce Now touches down on Amazon Fire TV devices—yes, even the little dongles
PC gaming is an incredibly expensive hobby. Before we can even get into how much full-price games will set you back these days, there's the not-so-little matter of having the hardware to play them on. Sure, if you're an indie fiend, you're probably not fussed about having the most up-to-date rig—but, as the memory crisis rages on, even older hardware is seeing an increase in demand. What if you could just sidestep the whole expensive question mark of a gaming desktop and play games via your smart TV?
This is the question and answer proffered by GeForce Now's latest announcement, as Nvidia's game streaming app is now available on Amazon Fire TV devices. So, yes, that does mean you'd still need to potentially drop a chunk of change on a swish new TV (or considerably less on this here cube, or even just a Fire TV Stick) in addition to the subscription fee to GeForce Now. This follows news of GeForce Now making its Linux debut last month.
It's also worth clarifying that GeForce Now only lets you stream games you already own, as it doesn't grant access to Nvidia's own library to stream. Still, have you seen the price of RAM lately? It's hard to deny that this may be a genuinely appealing way to play for all those with an internet connection that can keep up.
Still, so long as you already have a healthy backlog of games and a GeForce Now subscription, you can play right now via the second generation of the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, and the second generation of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, so long as you've got Fire OS 8.1.6.0 or later installed. You can also access GeForce Now via the first generation version of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max as long as it's running Fire OS 7.7.1.1 or later.
All of these options should be capable of streaming gameplay at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS. Granted, that's not the shiniest way to play but it may work out a little more economical for you and your current hardware setup.
Furthermore, a number of new games will also be playable via GeForce Now (again, so long as you already own them). These include Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, the Capcom Beat ’Em Up Bundle, and the Capcom Fighting Collection for those fond of classic dust-ups.
Mega Man 11 also joins the supported catalogue but this update wasn't all about retro appeal. Deliciously spooky Little Nightmares spiritual successor Reanimal is now playable via GeForce Now, too. And personally, I can't wait to scare my Fire TV-wielding relatives silly with this one. Mind you, I better not tell them exactly how much my last hardware upgrade cost, though—that's a pulse-raising I think we could all do without.