LG is the first TV manufacturer to integrate the NVIDIA GeForce Now cloud gaming service directly into televisions running webOS, which is probably the beginning of such integration in the industry. I expect more TV OEMs to follow suit.
If you’re not yet familiar with GeForce Now, it is a cloud-based gaming service in which games are executed on powerful cloud servers equipped with the best GPUs and streamed back to a client system such as your laptop, tablet, and soon, your TV.
Because games are executed in the NVIDIA cloud, you don’t need a powerful and expensive system. Instead, you pay a monthly fee to access a great gaming experience. I’m currently testing the GF Now service, so keep an eye out for my complete review, but the experience is stellar so far.
If you followed LG in the past few years, you probably know that their OLED televisions are also some of the best gaming displays money can buy. LG has worked extensively with NVIDIA to make G-Sync work, and overall, gamers have been thrilled when connecting their gaming rigs to LG’s OLED TVs.
Integrating GeForce Now will further grow LG’s reach into the gaming market. There are many compelling reasons to use GeForce Now. One of them is the near-term affordability of the service compared to buying or building a gaming rig. That’s particularly true in a period of supply-chain crunch and skyrocketing components prices.
LG does not have yet a complete list of compatible TVs, but it says:
“The [GeForce Now] app is now available in the LG Content Store on select 2021 LG 4K OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell TV models in 80 markets. 2 The app will enable LG TV owners with compatible TVs to instantly enjoy over 35 free-to-play games with just a compatible controller, no additional hardware required”.
“Games include Rocket League and Destiny 2 plus hit titles such as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Crysis Remastered Trilogy, all playable at up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second”.
I’m not surprised to see LG making this move, as the company has been very active on the gaming front. The previous investment made into its TV processors makes this new development possible, as you still require decent computing and connectivity power to stream games at 60FPS.
“LG customers are expecting the best when it comes to gaming on a large screen,” according to Lee Sang-woo, senior vice president of corporate business strategy at LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.
And that’s exactly right. I see more and more gamers using LG OLED TVs for gaming. However, creative users also use these TV sets as large PC monitors for creative work too.
If you’re interested in GeForce Now, I’d recommend testing your network first, as it is the ultimate limit to cloud gaming.
Filed in . Read more about Cloud Gaming, LG and NVIDIA.