GeForce Now is a popular streaming service if you want to play their titles but don’t necessarily have the strongest computer. Nvidia has now announced that they want to limit playtime. The restrictions will apply to everyone, but not immediately.
The English website Videogamechronicle.com reports that Nvidia announced on Reddit that it intends to limit playtimes on GeForce Now:
- In the future, all players who pay for the service will only be allowed to play 100 hours per month.
- Players using the service for free and with ad support will not be affected by the restriction since they can only play a maximum of 30 minutes at a time.
- Players with a Founders membership will “still have unlimited playtime for life”, according to Nvidia, but if they upgrade to another membership like Ultimate, the 100-hour limit will also apply.
Nvidia writes about this (via reddit.com):
At the beginning of next year, GeForce Now will introduce a monthly playtime limit of 100 hours to continue providing exceptional quality and speed as well as shorter wait times for performance and Ultimate members. (…)
This generous limit will benefit 94% of members who typically enjoy the service within this timeframe.
For active subscribers, the restriction applies from 2026, for everyone else from 2025
When does the restriction apply? For individuals who have an active, paid subscription to GeForce Now before December 31, 2024, will only be affected by the change starting in 2026.
If you register fresh or pay for a subscription after December 31, 2024, the 100-hour-per-month restriction will apply to you.
Additionally, Nvidia points out that you can carry over unused playtime from one month to the next: you can transfer 15 unused hours to the following month. This means you will have a maximum of 115 hours available per month.
Whether there will be an option later to refill your hour account for a fee is not known.
GeForce Now targets players with weak hardware, but there is competition
Why is GeForce Now exciting for some players? GeForce Now is a streaming service that allows you to use your own accounts in the cloud: When gaming, it is not your PC that runs the game. Instead, the calculations are handled by Nvidia in the cloud: Even if you have weak hardware, you can play top titles at the highest settings via the cloud – provided you have a stable and fast internet connection.
It’s also important to note that Nvidia is no longer the only provider of cloud gaming. For example, Microsoft offers Xbox Cloud Gaming as well, providing the option to stream certain games via the cloud. However, you will find fewer options here than with GeForce Now: What is Xbox Cloud Gaming and who is it worthwhile for in Game Pass?
