Peter Schorsch
In-car entertainment is about to go next-gen, with NVIDIA announcing that its cloud gaming platform is road ready.
The GeForce NOW subscription service has been available to consumers for some time. Thanks to advancements in mobile network speed and latency, it’s possible for gamers to get a quality streaming experience while zooming down the highway, not just when they’re parked at the computer desk.
This tech, of course, is not for drivers. But many a parent will likely enjoy peace and quiet from the back seat during a long trek — assuming the kids didn’t forget to pack their headphones.
The major draw at the company’s CES 2023 booth wasn’t the service itself, it was the announcement that NVIDIA has partnered with major automakers that will soon roll out new vehicles with the streaming capability built in.
The biggest of the bunch is Hyundai Motor Group, which already includes the NVIDIA DRIVE in-system as a standard feature across its Hyundai, Kia and Genesis lineup. Going forward, it will include GeForce NOW in its vehicles.
NVIDIA DRIVE is a platform that includes sensors, computing hardware and software tools for automakers to develop autonomous vehicle and intelligent cockpit capabilities.
Other companies logging on include Polestar, an electric car manufacturer that is owned by Volvo, as well as BYD, a Chinese electric car company. Both companies also offer NVIDIA DRIVE in their vehicles and will, like Hyundai, upgrade their in-car entertainment suite with GeForce NOW.
The GeForce NOW service is powered by low-latency cloud servers, enabling real-time gameplay with a library of more than 1,000 titles, such as “A Plague Tale: Requiem,” “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” and “Cyberpunk 2077.” The service also includes many of the most popular free-to-play games.
A GeForce NOW subscription is $8.99 per month or $49.99 if purchased in a six-month block. There is also a free option that allows users to play for up to one hour at a time, though they may need to wait in line if they log on during peak hours.
