Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 power coming to every PC via GeForce Now

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 could make GeForce Now streaming way better

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
(Image credit: creper9000 at Reddit)

All signs are pointing towards Nvidia launching the GeForce RTX 3080 this year, and that powerful next-generation GPU isn’t likely to be cheap. But there will be another way to access the performance that Nvidia’s new Ampere GPU architecture brings to the graphics table. 

Nvidia confirmed to our gaming sibling site PC Gamer that it plans to bring Ampere graphics tech to its GeForce Now game streaming service. And as Ampere is the core architecture that will underpin the next wave of GeForce graphics cards, we suspect that means GeForce Now will get access to the power of the RTX 3080. 

"We want GeForce Now to be an opportunity for gamers to experience the latest gaming technology from Nvidia." Andrew Fear, senior product manager for GeForce Now, told PC Gamer. "Therefore, you can expect to see Ampere on GeForce Now in time."

GeForce Now is powered by GPUs using the Turing architecture, which brought in dedicated ray-tracing hardware for games that support the realistic rendering technique. From the rumors we’ve seen so far, the GeForce RTX 3030 is expected to deliver a 20% performance boost over the mighty GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. So we can expect that performance to come over to GeForce Now. 

All that means better graphics, frame rates, and visual features are set to come to Nvidia’s game streaming service. That’s pretty promising, as with the PS5 and Xbox Series X on the horizon, we’re expecting games that will push gaming hardware harder than ever before. 

There’s likely to be a slight caveat to this Ampere upgrade. Currently, GeForce Now is offered as a free-to-use and paid service. For an introductory price of $5 a month, the latter option will give users priority access to the service and all the graphical features the Turing GPUs offer, while the free version is more basic. As such, we’d expect Nvidia to require GeForce Now users to pay for access to the boost in performance and features that Ampere is set to bring. 

We’re expecting to see a new generation of GeForce graphics cards around Septembe. So we have a little over a month to wait until we hear exactly what Nvidia has planned next for its Ampere architecture. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.