GeForce NOW Tiers Are Selling Out As Cloud Gaming Demand Soars

GeForce NOW is NVIDIA's push into cloud gaming, allowing you access to some of your favorite games from virtually anywhere. The first sold out tier is the free version, called a "Basic Rig." You'll have longer queue times and hourly session limits, plus be exposed to ads. The next sold out tier, the Performance "GeForce RTX," costs $9.99 a month. It has shorter queue times and 6-hour session lengths, plus access to more performance hardware.
The only tiers left with availability are the Ultimate "GeForce RTX 4080" tiers (1-month and 6-month) and a 6-month Performance option. Featuring the shortest wait times, the Ultimate tier also allows you to play a substantial 8-hours. You're also getting the highest grade of hardware to power your cloud gaming. Technologies that you often see on physical high-end NVIDIA GPUs are also here, including DLSS 3, Reflex, and G-Sync.

- Performance Day (Day Pass): Sold out
- Ultimate Day (Day Pass): Sold out
- Free (1-Month Plan): Sold out
- Free (6-Month Plan): Sold out
- Performance (1-Month Plan): Sold out
- Performance (6-Month Plan): Available
- Ultimate (1-Month Plan): Available
- Ultimate (6-Month Plan): Available
Traditional gamers may scoff at cloud gaming, but there is no denying that it is a growing trend with plenty of positive values to ascertain. Microsoft has recently been pushing its Game Pass service with the slogan that "This is an Xbox." This is a startling statement, because it is separating what has been a stronghold of hardware into a more wide-spread cloud gaming landscape.

With improving broadband access and server technology behind the scenes, performance is much different today than it was just a few short years ago. The Ultimate tier of GeForce NOW allows you to play at up to 4K resolution at 240 FPS, for example. You also get access to the best game visuals without needing to buy a physical graphics card.
This is certainly a grey area, because I know from experience that some gamers are not comfortable with not "owning" their own hardware and paying for a service overall. Having said this, there is no stopping the cloud gaming train, which can provide tons of convenience as the technology improves. With the first GeForce NOW tiers sold out, it is clear that there is some ample demand for these types of services. According to computerbase.de, these limits can also mean potential "restructuring" of the tiers or adding new features.
With handheld devices gaining an extraordinary amount of popularity since the rise of the Valve Steam Deck, cloud gaming makes sense in many use cases. These devices are more limited than the traditional PCs and cannot house larger discreet GPUs, so good cloud gaming can offset these drawbacks.