GeForce NOW cloud gaming service now available on Steam Deck

Nvidia has expanded the availability of its cloud gaming service GeForce NOW, releasing a separate application for the Steam Deck portable console. Now owners of the device from Valve can download the client from the official Nvidia website and get access to a library of more than 2,200 games. The service is available for projects from Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net and Xbox, as well as a collection of PC Game Pass, which includes more than 180 titles. Using GeForce NOW requires a subscription.

Ultimate level users will be able to run games in resolutions up to 4K at 60 frames per second, as well as use DLSS 4, Nvidia Reflex, HDR10 and ray tracing technologies. According to the company, games launched via GeForce NOW on the Steam Deck consume the console’s battery power up to 50% slower than native launch.

Three years after its release, the Steam Deck has outpaced competitors like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw. According to IDC, the Valve console has sold between 3.7 million and 4 million units, more than half of the total Windows and SteamOS handhelds sold (around 6 million).

IDC does not include Chinese consoles like GPD, Ayaneo, and OneXPlayer, but their market share is likely small.

Despite the Steam Deck’s popularity, the console has increasingly encountered performance limitations, especially in new games running Unreal Engine 5. However, Valve is in no hurry to release the Steam Deck 2, explaining this by the desire to wait for a significant technological breakthrough that would increase performance without reducing battery life.