Nvidia has recently announced that users of the free tier of its cloud gaming service GeForce Now will now start seeing ads. This move is aimed at helping to pay for the free service and reduce average wait times for users. The ads will only be shown to free tier users while they are waiting in queue to start a gaming session, and they are not expected to interrupt gameplay.
While the addition of ads may help improve the overall experience for free tier users, there are still concerns regarding the limitations of this tier. The free tier of GeForce Now has been criticized for being the least impressive version of the service, and not truly showcasing the capabilities of cloud gaming. To fully experience what cloud gaming is capable of, users would need to upgrade to the Ultimate tier which offers more advanced features such as the power of an RTX 4080 in the cloud and reduced latency.
Despite the benefits of the Ultimate tier, it comes at a cost of $20 a month with no free trial available. Nvidia had previously promised a $7.99 day pass for users to try out the Ultimate tier, but it is unclear if this option is currently available. The company plans to notify all free-tier users about the introduction of ads via email on February 27th.
It is worth noting that Nvidia had previously raised the price of GeForce Now in countries other than the US, citing increased operational costs as the reason for the hike. This trend of price hikes and the introduction of ad-supported tiers has been seen across many streaming services in recent months as companies aim to offset rising costs and maintain profitability.
Overall, while the addition of ads to the free tier of GeForce Now may help improve the service for users, there are still concerns about the limitations of the free tier and the high cost of upgrading to the Ultimate tier. Nvidia will need to carefully balance user experience with revenue generation to ensure the long-term success of its cloud gaming service.
Leave a Reply