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The Ultimate tier will be updated with server hardware equivalent to an RTX 5080 desktop GPU and AMD Zen 5 CPUs. The new servers will deliver 62 teraflops of compute performance and a 48GB frame buffer, offering up to 2.8x improved performance over the previous generation, thanks in part to NVIDIA DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation.
This hardware upgrade is complemented by additional features like Cinematic Quality Streaming (CQS). CQS includes YUV 4:4:4 chroma sampling and 10-bit HDR, AV1 support with RPR (Reference Picture Resampling), new AI-based sharpness filters to reduce noise and artifacts, clearer HUDs, and DPI awareness. The latter ensures that the correct native resolution is used, preventing a blurrier image on user devices, especially laptops.
CQS makes a noticeable difference when viewed in detail, such as in Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong, which supports full path tracing. Enhanced details like vegetation and character hair are significantly sharper with CQS enabled, addressing one of cloud gaming’s long-standing visual drawbacks compared to local gaming.
NVIDIA also demonstrated the power of this enhanced experience by streaming CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K@120FPS with path tracing enabled. In contrast, the PlayStation 5 Pro version was limited to 40FPS and looked inferior visually.
GeForce NOW is also improving latency issues typical in cloud gaming. The company has updated its servers with Rivermax hardware packet pacing technology, enabling direct data transfers to and from the GPU for minimal CPU utilization and best-in-class throughput and latency.
NVIDIA is working with ISPs to implement L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, and Scalable Throughput), which can further reduce latency. However, this requires adoption by ISPs and support from routers.
On local devices, NVIDIA has added support for 90FPS streaming on the native Steam Deck app, 120FPS streaming on the new Lenovo Legion Go S, 4K@120FPS on LG TVs via the native GFN app, 5K@120FPS on LG OLED monitors, and 1080P@360FPS or 1440P@240FPS. At 360FPS streaming, NVIDIA demonstrated an end-to-end latency of less than 30ms, making it viable to play competitive shooters via GeForce NOW.
NVIDIA is also expanding GFN support for racing wheel devices and adding accessibility through the new Install-to-Play feature on 2200 Steam games. A limited-time trial will allow streaming Fortnite directly via Discord.
Overall, NVIDIA’s improvements bring the cloud gaming experience closer to local gaming, with private testing needed to determine exact performance gains. The rollout is expected to begin next month with support for only 20 games but should grow rapidly.
