Nvidia, the newly crowned most valuable company in the world after overtaking Apple with a $3.65 trillion market cap just days ago, is leaving paid subscribers feeling short-changed after recently announced changes to its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service.
Since 2020, GeForce NOW has been one of the best cloud gaming services available, allowing users to access a streaming library that surpasses most, while also enjoying cloud access to games they own on Steam, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and the Epic Games Store.
However, the service's popularity may be set to tumble after it announced on Reddit that it would be implementing a monthly 100-hour cap on playtime for Performance (formerly Priority) and Ultimate subscribers.
Nvidia GeForce NOW caps Performance and Ultimate cloud gaming tiers
While 100 hours of game time per month doesn't seem like too much of a sting, that works out to roughly 3 hours per day of game time — and is a far cry from the unlimited access subscribers were previously granted.
These caps do come with some benefits, notably an upgraded 1440p resolution for Performance members, Ultrawide resolution support for Ultimate members and both tiers will now be able to save in-game graphics settings across streaming sessions.
Nvidia claims that the changes will allow it to "continue providing exceptional quality and speed — as well as shorter queue times — for Performance and Ultimate members."
In the future, gamers who require more than 100 hours of cloud gaming time each month will need to pay extra. Additional hours are available to purchase in 15-hour blocks for $2.99 or $5.99 for Performance or Ultimate memberships, respectively.
A silver lining for Nvidia's cloud clamp down
While Nvidia's decision to clamp down on cloud gaming time is sure to rub some the wrong way, the company believes the new limit will "comfortably accommodate 94% of members, who typically enjoy the service well within this timeframe."
In addition to these reassurances, Nvidia has also stated that up to 15 hours of unused playtime in GeForce NOW will automatically carry over into the next month (roughly equating to an extra 30 minutes of game time per day).
In a gesture of good faith, Nvidia is also granting all existing Performance (formerly Priority) and Ultimate subscribers unlimited playtime until January 2026 — a full year of unlimited access ahead of the December 31, 2024 cutoff.
That means new users who subscribe to GeForce NOW's Performance ($9.99 per month) and Ultimate ($19.99 per month) tiers ahead of the December cutoff date will also receive the unlimited gaming time promised to subscribers throughout 2025.
