Nvidia GeForce NOW Is Now Available Natively On Linux

NVIDIA has officially launched a native GeForce NOW client for Linux as a Flatpak, giving Linux gamers access to cloud-rendered RTX gaming. Phoronix reports: While confined to a Flatpak, for now NVIDIA is just "officially" supporting it on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and later. Granted, thanks to Flatpak it should run on other non-Ubuntu distributions too but in terms of the official support and where they are qualifying their builds they are limiting it just to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and later. [...] At launch the Flatpak build is also just for x86_64 Linux with no AArch64 Linux builds or similar at this time.

Running GeForce NOW on Linux while games are rendered in NVIDIA's cloud with Blackwell GPUs, you still need to be using a modern GPU with H.264 or H.265 Vulkan Video support NVIDIA isn't yet supporting Vulkan Video AV1 with GeForce NOW on Linux but just H.264/H.265. If you are using NVIDIA graphics the NVIDIA R580 series or newer is recommended while using the X.Org session. If you are using Intel or AMD Radeon graphics, Mesa 24.2+ is recommended and using the Wayland session.

When you are up and running with GeForce NOW on Linux, you have access to over 4,500 games. The free tier of GeForce NOW provides standard access to the gaming servers and limited session caps for an introductory-level experience. It's with the performance tier where you can enjoy RTX ray-tracing and 1440p @ 60 FPS performance and up to six hour sessions. With GeForce NOW's Ultimate tier is where you are running on GeForce RTX 5080 GPU servers with support for up to 5K @ 120 FPS gaming or 1080p @ 360 FPS with up to eight hour gaming sessions in length.

Worth noting...

[Tarlus]

This therefore brings native support to Steam Deck, and with significantly improved performance over the web-based implementation.

Re:

[unrtst]

This therefore brings native support to Steam Deck, and with significantly improved performance over the web-based implementation.

FYI, 3rd sentence in TFA: "NVIDIA already has been offering GeForce NOW for Valve's Steam Deck while now they are offering it as a Flatpak build for the typical Linux desktop."

IE: They brought it to Steam Deck first. That was already a thing.

Re:

[Tarlus]

Right, it was already doable on Deck via the web-based implementation, as I mentioned. That wasn't the "native" support now bundled in a Flapak.

Effort

[markdavis]

Flatpack? Blech, would want native. At least it isn't Snap.
Radeon- Check. Left NVidia due to poor Linux experience.
Wayland? No thanks.

Good thing I don't game. But it is nice to see they are making an effort! Hopefully more good stuff coming. With all the Linux Steam hype/improvements/excitement going on, this is a great trend.

Re:

[thegarbz]

So to be clear what you said:

1. For a system not dependent on device performance you want it to be native to the OS for some unknown reason, despite that literally reducing its portability between distros?
2. For a system that renders in the cloud and has nothing to do with your local GPU choice you prefer the company which ... doesn't have a product offering at all?
3. Something something wayland for reasons?
4. You wouldn't be interested or the target market even if it met your requirements?

I'm not surprised

Re:

[markdavis]

>"So to be clear what you said:"

It thought it was pretty clear. I don't like containers because native packages are better, I don't like or use Wayland, and I left NVidia because of poor support. And although I am not a gamer, and don't like their choices of how it is offered, and I don't game, it is still a good thing and I hope they develop it even more and offer other choices.

>"I'm not surprised you wasted your time, I'm surprised someone modded you up for your irrelevant (by your own admission)

Re:

[tlhIngan]

It thought it was pretty clear. I don't like containers because native packages are better, I don't like or use Wayland, and I left NVidia because of poor support. And although I am not a gamer, and don't like their choices of how it is offered, and I don't game, it is still a good thing and I hope they develop it even more and offer other choices.

Yeah, then they would only make it for Ubuntu. It won't work on Debian because missing dependencies, and it won't work anywhere else because they end up in DLL He

Re:

[markdavis]

Good explanation, but I already knew all that :)

I still hate containers. They are inefficient, waste tons of space, and are much more complex. I want native packages when possible. Ubuntu and certain other distros are forcing what should be native packages, like Firefox, LibreOffice, etc.... (NON proprietary software) to be containers. As for proprietary software, let's face it, all they need to target is a few systems and it will cover most of the rest. It isn't difficult for them to put out a new nat

Re:

[thegarbz]

Define "better". There's a reason many thigns are containerisier. For non performance restricted items contains are objectively more portable between Linux distros. Your definition is a downside for this use case.

You don't like Wayland, whooop de fucking do. There's technical reasons to use it for something like this. Your feelings are irrelevant.

NVIDIA hardware isn't related. NVIDIA's driver support isn't relevant. Your complaint is off topic.

Re:

[markdavis]

>"Define "better".

Why native packages are better than containers: Smaller. Faster to install. Faster to remove. Faster to update. Uses less disk space. Often has faster performance. Is easier to manage/change what it is doing. It is less complex. Is easier to ensure configuration won't change after updates. Sometimes uses less running memory. Is easier to update in some cases. Is more secure in many cases (because it can have other dependencies updated without having to rebuild a whole contain

How horrible is it?

[Gravis Zero]

How horrible could it be that Nvidia was forced to confine it to a flatpak? Honestly, I seems like they fired off all the people that knew what they were doing and hired some interns to copy/paste this shit together.

Re: How horrible is it?

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

That horrible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

It must be FUBAR'd

[Gravis Zero]

With GeForce NOW's Ultimate tier is where you are running on GeForce RTX 5080 GPU servers with support for up to 5K @ 120 FPS gaming or 1080p @ 360 FPS with up to eight hour gaming sessions in length.

I don't know about you but there sure reads like it's a highly unstable software that cannot run longer than a few hours before it crashes.

Re:

[YoYko]

That sentence talks about the subscription tier of the service and it's limitations, not about the client app.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Errr you game for >8 hours straight without taking a break? Are you okay? Do we need to call someone to help you?

NVIDIA do this specifically to time out and disconnect sessions where the user isn't present. I.e. those which were forgotten. This isn't a client limitation or a crashing issue.

Oh, those a--holes!

[fortunatus]

So rather than distribute compute to us locally, where we can use it as we wish, pay once, and even buy it second hand, we're going to shift users to cloud services where use is restricted to specific apps (games, LLM APIs), users pay forever (different rates for different apps), and those jerks justify their resource hungry over-built data centers!

What exactly is the difference?

[zdzichu]

Geforce Now works great in Chrome, with hw video acceleration and all. So what's the point of this standalone "app"? Did they just package Electron?