Nvidia has introduced a new option for gamers to access its GeForce Now streaming service in the form of Day Pass.
Team Green promised that this will happen with GeForce already in January, but the passes are already available.
Previously, you had to join up for a subscription to fully appreciate the capabilities of the cloud gaming service, as opposed to the limited gratis version, which has significant queue times (and now includes advertisements).
However, the Day Pass allows you to access the complete GeForce Now service, and even the top-tier RTX 4080-powered offering, for, well, a day, as you might expect, for a little investment.
How much? In the US, Nvidia charges $7.99 for an Ultimate Day Pass and $3.99 for a Priority Day Pass.
Those passes correlate to the existing Priority and Ultimate subscriptions (which are monthly, or you may join up for six months at a discount).
For those unfamiliar with the plans, Priority is GeForce Now’s standard option, providing 1080p cloud gaming at up to 60 frames per second (fps) with a maximum 6-hour session time. Ultimate ups the ante with an RTX 4080 cloud-based system capable of 4K gaming at up to 120 fps (or 240 fps if not running 4K) and a slightly longer 8-hour session duration.
Keep in mind that the quality of your streaming will, of course, be determined by the quality and speed of your internet connection.
However, it is worth noting that Nvidia states: “Day Passes are available in limited quantities each day, so grab one before the opportunity passes.”
Analysis: Hard day of gaming
This is a nice development for those considering putting their toes into the world of cloud gaming, as it allows you to test the waters for just one day.
Nvidia defines a day as 24 hours, thus those willing to go without much sleep will receive their money’s worth. (We wouldn’t recommend a 24-hour gaming marathon for a variety of reasons, particularly if you’re doing it for a good purpose, such as charity).
Being able to test the entire service in this manner for a few dollars (for the standard offering) is a fantastic idea, because no matter how much you research or read about how good GeForce Now may (or may not) be, there’s no substitute for actually running it on your own internet connection to see how it performs.
The Ultimate (RTX 4080) Day Pass may be too expensive for certain gamers.
Given that day passes are only accessible in ‘limited’ amounts on a daily basis, Nvidia may see this as a helpful way to unload excess gaming server resources.
Existing GeForce Now customers may see lengthier queue times if the Day Pass becomes popular. (And if wait times are extended, we can only image what that means for freeware users, who already require the patience of a gaming saint).
Remember that with GeForce Now, you are renting the hardware to play on, not the games themselves; you must own them (for example, on Steam or the Epic Games Store), and they must also be supported by Nvidia’s cloud service.
