Nvidia will soon add advertisements to the free version of its GeForce Now cloud gaming service. Beginning March 5th, users of the free membership will see ads while waiting for a cloud server to become available before each gaming session.
Img Credit: – NVIDIA
The ads are intended to help fund the free offering and potentially reduce wait times over the long run, according to Nvidia. The change only applies to GeForce Now’s no-cost membership tier – the company’s paid Priority and Ultimate memberships will not display ads at this time.
The free version of GeForce Now often involves queueing to play due to demand, with usage capped at one hour per session. Nvidia hopes sponsorships will help alleviate traffic issues on the entry-level plan and improve the user experience.
GeForce Now Ultimate offers a premium cloud gaming experience, with up to RTX 4080-level graphics performance and Nvidia G-Sync support. However, the top-tier option carries a $20 monthly subscription cost.
Nvidia will contact existing free members directly about the forthcoming ad rollout, scheduled to take effect March 5th. The news follows Nvidia enacting price increases for GeForce Now in several countries last year.
In summary, Nvidia will start displaying sponsor messages in the free edition of its GeForce Now cloud gaming platform next month. The company aims to fund operations and reduce wait times for non-paying users through ad revenue.
