Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service has brought in official support for Google’s Chrome web browser, and updated the macOS app to support the new Macs with Apple’s own M1 processor.
Chrome support means you’ll be able to hop in and enjoy game streaming right there and then on any device with the browser, but in the release notes, as spotted by XDA Developers (via Tom’s Hardware), Nvidia clarifies that only Windows and macOS systems are officially supported with Google’s browser.
That leaves Linux gamers in the lurch, potentially, although these users can always give it a shot, as Nvidia notes: “Other platforms may work, but are unsupported.” Still, that situation is obviously better than nothing.
Of course, Chromebook support (meaning Chrome OS, rather than the Chrome browser) was already brought in last year (check out our guide on how to use GeForce Now on a Chromebook).
Nvidia elaborates: “We have also added an easy way for you to create bookmarks and shortcuts to help you launch your favorite games faster. Simply click on a game to open the game details options, and select +SHORTCUT to open a dialog to create a game shortcut on your desktop.”
M1 goodness
The latest update (GeForce Now version 2.0.27) also introduces support for Apple’s Macs powered by the ARM-based M1 chip, which is delivered via the official macOS app. So that’s very handy for anyone who has bought one of these new machines.
Note that some folks have been running GeForce Now in Chrome on Windows systems previously, but unofficially – and the official launch represents a fully optimized incarnation. That’s good news in terms of responsiveness, and avoiding lag with your game streaming, of course.
Tom’s gave GeForce Now a spin on Chrome with a Windows 10 machine, and found it runs slickly, giving you an experience pretty close to that of the native app. Some settings are missing, though, including the ability to drop the frame-rate (to 30 fps) and the option that compensates for ‘poor network conditions’.
For those kind of reasons, it is worth using the native GeForce Now application if you can, but the option to simply fire up Chrome and just jump straight in is obviously a useful one to have.