Playtime cap is being added to the streaming service in early 2025.
Tech behemoth NVIDIA has announced fresh changes to their GeForce Now cloud gaming service. This significant change introduces a new 100-hour monthly playtime cap for subscribers starting early next year.
GeForce Now members on the 'Performance' (previously named 'Priority') and 'Ultimate' tiers will see this new cap come in to effect starting January 1, 2025. If you keep your sub — uninterrupted — however, you'll get to keep unlimited playtime for an extra year (through January 1, 2026). Sure feels like a strategic carrot-on-a-stick to keep users subscribed — from a service with a churn issue.
If you're not familiar with GeForce Now, it's the cloud gaming platform from NVIDIA that lets you stream your PC game library directly from the cloud. It works with the likes of Steam and the Epic Games Store, and is a somewhat popular option for Steam Deck users who are looking to play more demanding, graphically intensive games on their handheld. Broadly speaking, the streaming tech on offer here serves up a neat way to enjoy high-quality performance whilst on the go.
These changes are obviously designed to reduce server demand, but NVIDIA were keen to point out that this new cap will only affect a minority of users — highlighting how around 94% of GeForce Now users play less than 100 hours a month, and as such this "ample limit comfortably accommodates" most users.
This 100 hour cap shakes out at just over three hours a day of playtime in a typical month, which sounds reasonable enough. Oh, and if you don't use all of your hours, up to 15 of them will rollover into the following month.
Full details of the changes set to arrive in the new year can be found over on the NVIDA blog:
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Do you use GeForce Now? What do you make of the changes — sign up for an overkill account and let us know in the comments!