GeForce now comes to Chrome browsers and M1 Macs

Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service was launched for the Chrome browser and M1 Macs in beta (via XDA Developers), bringing resource-intensive games to laptops and other devices that may not be powerful to run on their own. We just tested the Chrome browser version on a Mac and a Windows 10 PC and it seems to be working perfectly.

GeForce Now already had apps for Windows 10 and Android devices, but it expanded to an even wider audience with a beta launch for Chromebooks in August 2020, and then surpassed Stadia for iOS devices with a workaround web app solution that allows you to stream games through the Safari browser there.

Now, theoretically, anyone with a Chrome browser can start streaming by accessing the GeForce Now website and creating an account, even on a weak laptop. Or, if you’re on a new M1 Mac, according to the release notes for this new version of GeForce Now, through a new dedicated app. The Nvidia changelog also lists some other changes to make the service more useful in a browser, such as the ability to create dedicated shortcuts for your games and a new way to share links that can send your friend directly to a game.

Like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna, GeForce Now is essentially a PC in the cloud that you “rent” to stream your games. You can play with a mouse and keyboard, a gamepad and even a wireless headset – they all worked perfectly for us in Chrome. It is important to note that Microsoft Edge is not currently supported, although it is now a Chromium browser. Of course, you will need to be in a region where GeForce Now is available.

The expansion of GeForce Now was not just sunshine and roses. The service integrates with Steam, so you can unlock PC games you already own to stream through the service, but not all games work because developers need to choose. Many of them were not very happy with Nvidia because GeForce Now allowed players to stream their games without permission (and allowed Nvidia to profit from a monthly subscription). And while its rival Google Stadia has a smaller library of even more curated games, it can often offer a sharper image and higher resolution than Nvidia now offers.

The full list of devices supported by GeForce Now is available here. GeForce Now will also hit LG TVs in 2021.