New Nvidia service to stream games
Nvidia’s video game streaming network switches from a free beta to a full subscription service under a new name Thursday as the graphics chipmaker tries to increase sales of its Shield home TV console.
The Nvidia Grid service will debut as the $7.99 per month GeForce Now network, offering subscribers the ability to play games like “Resident Evil 2” within about 30 seconds without having to wait for the entire game to download.
With the success of movie and TV streaming services like Netflix, “we believe the time is right to launch a streaming game service,” said Chris Daniel, senior Shield project manager. “It’s the streaming generation now.”
Nvidia began selling the Shield online this summer in the United States, promoting the company’s first product aimed at general consumers as the future of home entertainment.
The company is now expanding sales to the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Nordic countries. The Shield will also be sold in Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics and Micro Center stores.
Nvidia is hoping streaming games sets its Android TV device up to better compete head-tohead with the redesigned Apple TV, which also streams video and plays games.
Unlike the new Apple TV, the Shield supports ultra-high-resolution 4K video. But Amazon recently announced its Fire TV will support 4K, while a report Roku filed with the Federal Communications Commission last week indicated the ultra-high-definition video format will be part of its next streaming media player.
The Shield launched with the free Nvidia Grid beta game-streaming service. It will be replaced by the new GeForce Now network, which will be available in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Western Russia, Japan and South Korea.
The subscription cost, with the first three months offered for free, is far less than analysts had speculated Nvidia would charge. By comparison, the rival Sony PlayStation Now cloud gaming service costs $19.99 per month.
Daniel said Nvidia set its price to be comparable to what streamers are used to paying for online music, movies and television.
GeForce Now will launch with nearly 60 free games. But it will also have 10 games that cost extra, including “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “Shadow of Mordor,” “Resident Evil 2: Revelations” and “Lego Jurassic World.” Publishers of those games set the prices individually, but many are also including a code to let buyers download a PC computer version along with the streaming version, Daniel said.