Microsoft partners with NVIDIA to add GeForce NOW cloud streaming to Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass is expanding its cloud gaming options on Xbox.com with a new option that lets gamers choose their streaming service. The 'Play With Cloud' option now includes multiple streaming platform choices: Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

This is great news for PC gamers because NVIDIA's GeForce NOW cloud streaming services is widely regarded as the best for cloud gaming thanks to it leveraging powerful GeForce RTX 4080 hardware (for those on the higher subscription tiers), RTX technologies like DLSS and Frame Generation, with support for VRR displays, and G-SYNC. It even supports up to 240 Hz or 240 FPS.

On the other hand, Xbox Cloud Gaming is limited to 1080p 60 FPS running on console hardware with a higher latency. Microsoft is still all in on Xbox Cloud Gaming, as the service is available on Samsung Smart TVs and recently has found its way to Amazon's Fire Stick streaming devices.

As a part of Xbox, you'll need to link accounts for all of this to work correctly, such as Microsoft, Steam, and GeForce NOW. As a cloud gaming service, GeForce NOW isn't a platform that sells games; it allows you to stream select games you own on Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, or compatible titles that are a part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

As of writing, the option to choose from different cloud gaming services hasn't made its way to the dedicated Xbox App for Windows. Hopefully, it's only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see how far Microsoft is willing to go with this; we'd love to see GeForce NOW as an option on Xbox Series X|S consoles, too.

Cloud gaming relies on a fast and stable internet connection, with access to servers, and that's true of Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW.