In an era where seemingly everything from a bag of potatoes to your daily coffee seems to require a small fortune, it should come as no shock that price hikes extend to niche services as well. Nvidia’s popular game streaming service, GeForce Now, is set to raise its membership fees by as much as 40%, varying depending on your location.
These price adjustments are not immediate and will only take effect from November 1st. Nvidia’s announcement of these changes was quite understated, with the information discreetly updated on the GeForce Now FAQ page.
Some existing subscribers in the affected regions may have already received notifications about the impending price increases, but the news has flown somewhat under the radar.
So, why the price hike, and how significantly will it impact users? Nvidia explains that the increases are necessary to account for heightened operational costs in specific regions, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland, and countries using the Euro.
The smallest increase will be observed in Poland, with fees for most one and six-month Priority and Ultimate packages going up by 10%, while the six-month Ultimate package will see an 8% rise. However, the situation is more challenging for gamers in Sweden, Norway, and Canada.
Sweden and Norway are facing a substantial 30% fee increase, while Canadians using GeForce Now will experience price hikes ranging from 30% to a staggering 40%, depending on the selected package.
To put things in perspective, the current cost of a six-month Priority membership in Canada is 49.99 CAD, but in a few weeks, it will jump to 69.99 CAD. For this price, subscribers can expect up to 1080p resolution, 60 fps, and a session length of six hours.
It’s important to note that GeForce Now doesn’t provide games; instead, it connects to your existing digital game library, such as Steam, and runs the games for you.
While some may consider $140 a year for access to a reasonably performing gaming “PC” a reasonable expense, not everyone is sold on game streaming services. Nevertheless, those who opt for the priciest package, the Ultimate service, might find it to be a worthy investment, offering maximum graphics, abundant performance, and bypassing the need for a high-end graphics card. Of course, like all streaming services, there are caveats to consider.
For certain individuals, game streaming services may be the only way to experience high-end PC gaming. Still, if you reside in one of the aforementioned countries, be prepared for a noticeable increase in the cost of your gaming enjoyment.
