随着Microsoft xCloud和Google Stadia等游戏流媒体服务引起各种轰动，图形巨头Nvidia将自己的惊人硬件用作共享游戏资源(gaming resource)是完全合理的。
如果您听说过GeForce Now，那是因为该服务终于结束了测试阶段(beta phase)，并提供了很多您在竞争中找不到的简洁功能。那么，什么是GeForce Now，它是如何工作的？看完这篇文章，你就会知道到底发生了什么！
什么是游戏流媒体？
了解游戏流媒体(game streaming)的最简单方法是将其与媒体流媒体进行比较，例如YouTube、Netflix 和 Amazon Prime Video(Netflix and Amazon Prime Video)。电影不驻留(t reside)在光学或磁性存储设备上。相反，当您点击播放按钮时，世界某处的服务器开始发送您的设备视频(device video)数据，然后在它到达时显示给您。
游戏(Game)流媒体以类似的方式工作，但有许多特殊的挑战需要克服。视频游戏(video game)在世界某处的计算机上运行，然后向您发送声音和图像，同时接收来自您的游戏控制器(game controller)、鼠标和键盘(mouse and keyboard)的输入。
虽然视频流可以通过使用“缓冲区”来确保在任何 Internet 连接上的流畅播放，该缓冲区在本地存储几秒钟或几分钟的素材以防您的连接波动，但视频游戏是一种实时应用程序，任何类型的延迟都会使经历难以忍受。
因此，游戏服务器和互联网连接必须非常高端，才能使一切可行。随着宽带光纤互联网(broadband fiber internet)的普及和负担得起，视频游戏流媒体(game streaming)将变得更加实用。
您现在还可以在本地网络上流式传输游戏。例如，这里我们将游戏从Playstation 4流式传输到 iPad。
#IOS13 #PS4 remote play with native DS4 support! pic.twitter.com/1Qc5X9hvvB
— Sydney Butler (@GendoWasRight) September 28, 2019
商业流媒体的概念完全相同，只是源机器(source machine)离你所在的地方很远。
是什么让 GeForce 现在如此特别？
乍一看，与Google Stadia 或 Microsoft xCloud(Google Stadia or Microsoft xCloud)相比，GeForce Now似乎没有太大区别。仔细观察后，它们已经完全不同了。
借助Google Stadia，该产品本身就是一个平台。这意味着您为Stadia(Stadia)购买游戏，就像购买PC 或游戏机(PC or console)一样。它还被定位为非常高端的 4K、每秒 60 帧的产品。
另一方面，微软的xCloud提供基于云的Xbox One S 体验(S experience)。这(Which)很棒，因为它使您可以访问现有的Xbox One库。在撰写本文时，xCloud仍是一款包含有限游戏的测试版产品，但最终它将在几乎任何设备上提供相当于 Xbox 游戏的内容。据推测，当xCloud退出测试版时，您将可以访问您现有的库。
GeForce Now 以更真实的方式采用基于云的PC 游戏理念。(PC gaming)您可以访问自己的虚拟 PC，您可以在其中安装游戏，就像使用本地 PC 一样。换句话说，您将登录您的GeForce Now 帐户，安装Steam等客户端并将游戏安装到系统中。
这很神奇，有几个原因。首先(First)，这意味着您不必在受支持的平台上重新购买您已经拥有的游戏。您可以玩自己的游戏，只要它们在受支持的游戏列表中即可。这很棒的另一个原因是这些平台支持云同步。因此，例如，您可以在GeForce Now 虚拟 PC 上玩游戏，然后继续在本地游戏 PC(gaming PC)上无缝玩游戏。
GeForce Now互联网连接(Internet Connection)要求
让GeForce Now 这样的服务正常运行不仅仅需要一些惊人的数据中心技术(center technology)。您自己的互联网连接(internet connection)必须能够胜任这项任务。
这意味着 720/60fps 性能的连接速度至少为 15Mbps，1080p/60fps 性能的连接速度至少为 25Mbps。总带宽也不是最重要的。Nvidia建议您在 5Ghz 频段上使用快速路由器，以尽可能减少延迟。
或者，您必须使用有线以太网连接(Ethernet connection)将您的设备连接到路由器。移动(Mobile)连接可能有太多延迟，具体取决于您所在的位置。如果你有一个数据上限(data cap)，这样的服务可以很快吃掉它。
我可以在哪些平台上玩？
Nvidia支持多种设备。支持 Windows 和Mac计算机以及Android设备。如果您是拥有Nvidia Shield设备的人，您也可以玩。在未来的某个时候，Chrome OS 支持(Chrome OS support)也会到来。
Android设备至少需要Android 5.0 和 2GB内存(RAM)。Windows机器需要 2Ghz 双核CPU和 4GB RAM 以及任何(RAM and anything)等于或优于Intel HD Graphics 2000 GPU的东西。您应该查看官方页面(official page)以确保您的Mac是受支持的。
它的成本是多少？
在撰写本文时，Nvidia尚未发布其服务的最终长期定价，但在发布时有两个等级可供选择。显然，免费层(Free tier)不需要任何费用(cost anything)。但是，它确实有一些严重的局限性。最相关的是一小时的会话限制(session limit)。
玩一个小时后，您将被踢出游戏。您可以立即重新登录，但您可能会发现自己排在队列的最后，排在其他免费玩家和获得优先权的付费玩家之后。
然而，在游戏性能(game performance)方面，Nvidia承诺为免费和付费用户提供相同的 1080p 分辨率和每秒 60 帧的流畅度。
说到用户的付费层， GeForce(GeForce) Now的“创始人”层的计划费用为每月 4.99 美元。这是特殊的介绍性定价，(pricing and locks)可让您享受 12 个月的服务。这意味着您承诺总共支付 60 美元。
英伟达(Nvidia)通过提供 3 个月的付费服务免费试用来减轻打击。因此，如果它对您不起作用(t work)，则有时间纾困。这意味着您只需 60 美元即可获得有效的 15 个月GeForce Now Founders。
付费层有两个主要的价值主张。首先，如上所述，您排在队列中的免费用户之前。因此，虽然您可能仍然需要等待才能玩，但您不会像他们那样等待。二是会话时间延长至六小时！绝大多数玩家可能不会记录六个小时的不间断游戏，所以这似乎很合理。
Founders用户最后一个值得注意的好处是包含支持 RTX 的图形硬件(RTX-enabled graphics hardware)。这是英伟达独有的实时“光线追踪”解决方案，由少数 PC 游戏支持。这些卡非常昂贵，因此这提供了一种经济实惠的方式来体验令人印象深刻的渲染技术(rendering technique)。
立即购买GeForce(GeForce)之前，请注意以下事项
GeForce Now 是一个令人难以置信的产品，它为基于云的游戏流媒体市场带来了一些适当的新想法。但在你太兴奋之前，你应该记住一些事情。
首先，使用(First)GeForce Now等基于云的资源会让您与其他也想玩游戏的用户竞争。这(Which)意味着您将在高峰时段排队。付费用户在这里也有优先权，但即便如此，他们仍在相互竞争。
最重要的其他警告来自您特定的互联网连接。即使您的连接满足或超过最低要求，事情也会发生。如果您的连接出现波动，或者您的服务提供商(service provider)的主干网出现问题，您可能会发现自己与(s backbone)GeForce Now 服务断开了连接。至少拥有自己的本地计算机意味着您始终可以独占访问它。
仔细考虑过去您的连接有多可靠。当然，既然有免费试用服务的选项，你可以自己测试一下！
GeForce 现在可能就是其中之一
假设技术和承诺的性能如宣传的那样有效，GeForce Now 代表了我们所见过的所有游戏流媒体服务中最具吸引力的。
将您现有的游戏库(game library)引入服务的能力意味着您无需购买新的游戏 PC(gaming PC)，只需每月花费 5 美元加上您的互联网费用即可体验PC 游戏(PC gaming)所提供的最佳体验。
如果GeForce Now 能够与PC版 Xbox Game Pass等(Game Pass)游戏订阅(game subscription)服务合作，那它很可能是一场天作之合的游戏。(gaming match)
GeForce Now: How Does It Work and Is It Worth Trying?
With game streаming services like Microsoft xCloud and Google Stadia causing all sorts of buzz, it makes perfect sense for graphics giant Nvidia to put their own stupendous hardware to use as a shared gaming resource.
If you’ve been hearing about GeForce Now, that’s because the service is finally out of the beta phase and offers quite a few neat features you won’t find with the competition. So, what is GeForce Now and how does it work? You’ll know exactly what’s up by the end of this article!
What is Game Streaming?
The simplest way to understand game streaming is to compare it to media streaming, such as YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The movies don’t reside on optical or magnetic storage. Instead, when you hit that play button, a server somewhere in the world starts sending your device video data, which is then displayed to you as it arrives.
Game streaming works in a similar way, but has many special challenges to overcome. The video game runs on a computer somewhere in the world, which then sends you sound and images, while receiving input from your game controller, mouse and keyboard.
While video streaming can ensure smooth playback on any internet connection by using a “buffer” which stores up a few seconds or minutes of footage locally in case your connection fluctuates, video games are a real-time application where any sort of latency will make the experience unbearable.
So the game servers and internet connections have to be pretty high end to make it all viable. With broadband fiber internet becoming widespread and affordable, video game streaming is set to become more practical.
You can also now stream games on your local network. For example, here we’re streaming gameplay from a Playstation 4 to an iPad.
#IOS13 #PS4 remote play with native DS4 support! pic.twitter.com/1Qc5X9hvvB
— Sydney Butler (@GendoWasRight) September 28, 2019
The concept is exactly the same for commercial streaming, it’s just that the source machine is nowhere near where you are.
What Makes GeForce Now So Special?
At first glance, there may not seem to be much difference between GeForce Now when compared to Google Stadia or Microsoft xCloud. Upon closer inspection, they couldn’t be any more different.
With Google Stadia, the product is pitched as a platform in its own right. Which means you buy games for Stadia, just as you would for PC or console. It’s also pitched as a very high-end 4K, 60 frames per second offering.
Microsoft’s xCloud, on the other hand, offers a cloud-based Xbox One S experience. Which is great because it gives you access to the existing Xbox One library. At the time of writing, xCloud is still a beta product with a limited set of games, but eventually it’s going to essentially offer what amounts to Xbox gameplay wherever you are, on just about any device. Presumably, when xCloud exits beta, you’ll have access to your existing library.
GeForce Now takes the idea of cloud-based PC gaming in a more literal way. You get access to a virtual PC of your own, where you can install games just as you would using a local PC. In other words, you’ll log into your GeForce Now account, install a client like Steam and install games to the system.
This is amazing for a few reasons. First of all, it means that you don’t have to rebuy games you already own on supported platforms. You can play your own games, as long as they’re on the list of supported titles. The other reason this is awesome, is that these platforms support cloud-syncing. So, for example, you can play a game on your GeForce Now virtual PC and then keep playing on your local gaming PC seamlessly.
GeForce Now Internet Connection Requirements
Making a service like GeForce Now work properly doesn’t just require some amazing data center technology. Your own internet connection has to be up to the task.
That means a connection of at least 15Mbps for 720/60fps performance and 25Mbps for 1080p/60fps performance. Total bandwidth isn’t all that matters either. Nvidia recommends that you use a fast router on the 5Ghz band, to reduce latency as much as possible.
Alternatively, you’ll have to connect your device to the router using a wired Ethernet connection. Mobile connections might have too much latency, depending on your location. And if you have a data cap, a service like this can eat it all very quickly.
What Platforms Can I Play On?
Nvidia supports a wide array of devices. Windows and Mac computers are both supported as are Android devices. If you’re someone who owns an Nvidia Shield device, you can play as well. At some point in the future Chrome OS support is coming as well.
Android devices need at least Android 5.0, with 2GB of RAM. Windows machines need a 2Ghz dual-core CPU with 4GB of RAM and anything equal or better to an Intel HD Graphics 2000 GPU. You should check the official page to make sure that your Mac is a supported one.
What Does it Cost?
At the time of writing, Nvidia has not released final long-term pricing for its service, but at launch there are two tiers available. The Free tier, obviously, doesn’t cost anything. However it does have some serious limitations. The most pertinent is the one-hour session limit.
After playing for an hour, you’ll be kicked out of your game. You can log right back in again, but you may find yourself at the back of the queue, behind other free players and paying players who get priority.
In terms of game performance however, Nvidia promises the same 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second smoothness for both free and paying users.
Speaking of the paying tier of users, the plan works out to $4.99 a month for the “Founders” tier of GeForce Now. This is special introductory pricing and locks you in for 12 months of the service. That means you’re committed to paying $60 in total.
Nvidia has softened the blow by also including a 3-month free trial of the paid service. So if it doesn’t work for you, there’s time to bail out. This means you get an effective 15 months of GeForce Now Founders for $60.
The paid tier comes with two major value propositions. The first is, as mentioned above, you get put ahead of free users in the queue. So while you may still have to wait to play, you won’t wait as long as they do. The second is the extension of session times up to six hours! The vast majority of players probably won’t log six hours of unbroken gameplay, so that seems more than reasonable.
The last notable perk for Founders users is the inclusion of RTX-enabled graphics hardware. This is Nvidia’s unique real-time “ray tracing” solution supported by a small number of PC games. These cards are quite expensive, so this offers an affordable way to experience what can be a very impressive rendering technique.
Before You Buy GeForce Now, Here are the Caveats
GeForce Now is an incredible offering and brings some properly new ideas to the cloud-based game streaming market. But before you get too excited, there are some things you should keep in mind.
First of all, using cloud-based resources like GeForce Now puts you in competition with other users who also want to play. Which means you’ll be put into a queue during peak times. Paying users get priority here as well, but even then they’re still competing with each other.
The most important other caveat comes from your specific internet connection. Even if your connection meets or exceeds the minimum requirements, things happen. If your connection fluctuates, or something happens to your service provider’s backbone, you can find yourself cut off from the GeForce Now service. At least owning your own local computer means that you always have exclusive access to it.
Carefully think about how reliable your connection has been in the past before. Of course, since there is a free option to try the service, you can test it yourself!
GeForce Now Could Be The One
Under the assumption that the technology and promised performance works as advertised, GeForce Now represents the most appealing of all game streaming services we’ve yet seen.
The ability to bring your existing game library to the service means instead of buying a new gaming PC, you can simply spend $5 a month plus your internet fees to experience the best of what PC gaming has to offer.
If it should come to pass that GeForce Now works with game subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass for PC, it could very well be a gaming match made in heaven.
