Nvidia Shield powers up with new GeForce Now beta

I have four words for you: Current games, no PC.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.

Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories

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Lori Grunin

July 10, 2018 9:00 a.m. PT

Within the next week, Nvidia Shield streamer owners will be able to access the beta of Nvidia's GeForce Now (GFN) all-you-can-play cloud-gaming service -- sans PC. And given that one of Nvidia's goals with the PC/Mac version of GFN is to keep on top of the newest, most popular games, that means you don't have to live with just the back catalog anymore. Plus, if it works the same way as the PC/Mac version, you'll be able to play any game in your Steam catalog, though it's not painless.

Watch this: GeForce Now is good enough to addict you to cloud gaming

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There's no waiting list for this beta, possibly because Shield owners who subscribe are already paying for it. Whether Nvidia will change the pricing is unknown. Currently, people who want to sign up for a PC/Mac account have to sign up and wait until they're invited, and we still don't know what it will cost.

The recent update to the Shield software brought a game-access interface that looks quite similar to GFN's, so it should slip right in.

We'll be locking ourselves in the TV lab to ~~play~~ test it, so stay tuned.