LG adds Nvidia GeForce Now gaming to select 2021 smart TVs

By Simon Cohen November 18, 2021

LG has announced that it is the first smart TV maker to debut a native app for Nvidia’s GeForce Now online streaming gaming platform. The GeForce Now app will be available as a beta test on select 2021 TVs, including 4K OLED, QNED mini-LED, and NanoCell TV models in 80 markets globally. LG says the full list of compatible TVs will be released at a later date.

With the GeForce Now app installed, users will have access to 35 free-to-play games if they own a compatible controller, with no additional hardware required. Games include Rocket League, Destiny 2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Crysis Remastered Trilogy. Games can be played at up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second, though there has been some recent controversy over this as Nvidia has admitted to capping some games at lower frame rates. (Digital Trends has put together a list of the best GeForce Now games.)

There are three tiers to the GeForce Now service: Free, Priority ($50 per month), and the recently announced RTX 3080 ($100 per month) that lets gamers experience 1440p resolution at 120Hz. As shortages of high-end graphics cards has continued, this new tier is something of a stopgap until gamers can once again upgrade their rigs. LG hasn’t indicated whether its GeForce Now app will support the RTX 3080 tier.

Nvidia GeForce Now on LG TVs. — LG

GeForce Now Priority members get access to ray tracing and A.I. technologies streaming from Nvidia RTX-powered servers in data centers worldwide. One of the benefits of the GeForce Now service is that games can be started on one device an then continued on another. GeForce Now is currently available on Nvidia Shield TV, Windows PCs, MacOS, Chrome OS, Android, and the Safari browser for iPhone and iPad.

“Partnering with Nvidia to bring GeForce Now to LG TV owners is a sign of our commitment to deliver the best gaming experience on LG TVs running WebOS,” said Lee Sang-woo, senior vice president of corporate business strategy at LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.

LG has a long-standing relationship with Nvidia. LG’s OLED TVs were the first to be compatible with Nvidia’s G-Sync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, making the TVs among the best large-size displays for PC and console gaming.

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Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…

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Logitech made its own lightweight handheld built for cloud gaming

The Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld sits on a stack of comics.

Although I can be tough on cloud services that have faults, I actually do enjoy cloud gaming on Google Stadia and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate quite a bit, and I’m excited about the technology’s potential for both players and developers. Currently, most of my cloud gaming takes place on my phone, but Logitech and Tencent Games want me to start playing cloud games on a new device. In October, the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld starts rolling out, and it hopes to become the way to play cloud games.
During a hands-off preview of the device, Logitech certainly delivered on highlighting an Android-powered device with two native cloud gaming apps that players can use to enjoy games with a Wi-Fi connection. At $350, though, it feels like a solution for a niche usage problem that similarly priced devices already solve. I could see myself enjoying this device if I wanted to stream a video game from my bed or a room without my TV and consoles. Unfortunately, it seems outclassed by just the ability to stream games on a midrange-or-better phone, something anyone reading this can likely do already.

What is the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld?
From a technical perspective, the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld contains specs that wouldn’t feel out of place on a mid-range mobile device. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core 2.3GHz CPU, as well as 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB of internal storage that people can expand with an SD card. The display is a 7-inch IPS multi-touch screen that displays at a 1080p resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate. Players can listen to audio through its stereo speaker, a 3.5mm stereo audio jack, or a Bluetooth 5.1 connection.
What sets it apart is that Logitech built the controllers into the device, giving it a Nintendo Switch-like look. It has the d-pad, analog joysticks, buttons, bumpers, and triggers expected of a modern controller, plus a Home button to bring players to the home screen and a “G button” that will access more system-specific settings. Players will be able to remap the controls however they wish, though. On top of that, players can expect the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld to have haptics feedback, a gyroscope, a light sensor, and even a built-in stereo microphone with echo canceling and noise suppression support.
These aren’t top-of-the-line specs by any means, but Logitech made this choice because the device is made for gaming natively on the device. It also allowed them to get the device’s weight down to only 463 grams and give it a battery life of around 12 hours (it uses USB-C to charge), which has never been seen on a gaming handheld. Think of the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld as an Android 11 tablet with built-in controllers, uniquely tailored UI, and access to native Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, and Google Play Store apps.

Gaming

Tencent and Logitech are making a cloud gaming handheld device

The Tencent Games and Logitech G logos on a black background.

Tencent Games and Logitech have joined forces to create a handheld device focusing on cloud gaming. It's currently referred to as the "Logitech G Gaming Handheld" and is scheduled to release later this year.

“Logitech G’s leadership in PC and console gaming gear make them an ideal partner to help us realize the vision of bringing a better gaming experience to gamers around the globe,” said Daniel Wu, general manager of Tencent Games Smart Solution Innovation Lab, in a press release. “Today marks the start of a new opportunity for our companies to further push the frontiers of gaming devices.”

Gaming

The best GeForce Now games

Genshin Impact characters in front of a dragon.

GeForce Now is one of the most unique game streaming services on the market. Rather than giving players a catalog of titles for their monthly fee, subscribers instead access their own library of games from third-party storefronts such as Steam and the Epic Games Store. Games can be played remotely on Android devices, MacBooks, or even underpowered laptops. It's a unique approach to the game streaming concept, but there's one big catch -- just because you own a game doesn't mean it's compatible with GeForce Now.

That's right, not every title in your massive Steam library will run on GeForce Now. The service has made huge strides over the past few years, however, with more than 1,000 titles now playable on the service. If you're having trouble figuring out what to play using your new subscription -- or if you're just wondering whether your favorite game is compatible with the service -- here's a look at some of the best games on GeForce Now.