Gamers on Linux will soon have a new option to play popular AAA titles and other games. A new native NVIDIA GeForce NOW app for Linux is in the works, giving users a native experience rather than relegating them to a web browser.
Amazon Fire TV Stick owners will also gain a native app for NVIDIA GeForce NOW. The game streaming service already has native apps for Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, and select virtual reality devices and smart TVs.
NVIDIA announced the new apps at CES 2026. The company also shared that its GeForce RTX 5080-powered servers are now live globally for Ultimate members. Those servers allow up to 5K streaming at 120 FPS or 1080p streaming at 360 FPS.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW Ultimate members using RTX 5080-class servers will also gain DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation and Cinematic-Quality Streaming mode.
To get the best experience with all the bells and whistles, you'll need to play supported titles.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW was already available on many devices through native apps, including the Linux-based Steam Deck. But soon, more Linux users will be able to enjoy the benefits of a native app.
The native GeForce NOW app is supported with Ubuntu 24.04 and later. The app is in beta now and is expected to ship later this year.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick app for NVIDIA GeForce NOW is expected to come out "early this year," according to NVIDIA. The app will first become available for the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen).
The year of Linux (for real maybe?)
People have joked about each year being the year of Linux for so long that the jokes have become stale. But 2026 may actually be a big year for the platform.
Nearly 90% of Windows games now run on Linux in some way. Add cloud streaming through services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and the gap is even smaller. Streamed games aren't the same as natively run games, of course, but that difference gets smaller each year as technology advances.
Bazzite, a Linux distro built for gaming, has seen a surge in users since Windows 10 reached its end of support.
Linux still lacks native support for several popular titles, including Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant. Kernel-level anti-cheat systems will likely prevent those titles from running on Linux any time soon.
But if someone plays some of the nearly 90% of Windows games that are now playable on Linux, the latter becomes an attractive option.
Game streaming could well grow this year across several platforms. With AI causing the price of RAM to increase, buying new devices or upgrading existing hardware becomes a potentially untenable option.
Cloud gaming, be it through NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or another service, lets people play their favorite games without requiring expensive hardware. It also has the major benefit of working just about anywhere with a stable internet connection.
Our Managing Editor, Richard Devine, explained how the takeover of cloud gaming is inevitable.
Using the cloud to stream games can breathe life into outdated hardware, add new capabilities to your system, and let you play games on the go. Soon, NVIDIA GeForce NOW will have a first-class experience on Linux and Fire TV Sticks, too.
How is a native NVIDIA GeForce NOW app better than using the service through a web browser?
Native NVIDIA GeForce NOW apps have more features than the web browser version of the service, including powerful features that improve the image quality of games. The native apps also provide higher resolution options. You will get the best NVIDIA GeForce NOW experience by using a native app.
Which Amazon Fire TV sticks will support NVIDIA GeForce NOW?
The new native NVIDIA GeForce NOW app will first be available on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen). NVIDIA hinted at more devices gaining support in the future, but has not specified which other Amazon Fire TV Sticks will gain support for the app.
Does native cloud support via GeForce NOW make Linux a viable Windows replacement for you, or do you still feel that games need to run locally on your own hardware to count? Let us know in the comments!
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