Earlier this month at CES, NVIDIA made a long-awaited announcement that immediately caught the attention of Linux gamers: GeForce NOW is officially coming to Linux, with a native application now available in beta. The move marks a major expansion of NVIDIA’s cloud gaming ecosystem and fulfills a request that Linux users have been making for years.
With the new Linux-native GeForce NOW app, users can access a massive library of over 4,500 games, including major titles such as DOOM: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The service allows players to stream games directly from NVIDIA’s servers, eliminating the need for powerful local hardware while still delivering high-end performance.
Blackwell Power Comes to Linux
For Ultimate tier subscribers, priced at $19.99 per month, the Linux beta introduces access to NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 5080 infrastructure. This enables cloud streaming at up to 5K resolution and 120 frames per second, bringing Linux gaming closer than ever to the experience of running a high-end Windows gaming PC.
NVIDIA says the Blackwell rollout also lays the foundation for future features, including support for 360 fps streaming and advanced DLSS technologies, further enhancing visual fidelity and responsiveness on Linux systems.
System Requirements and Compatibility
Based on early testing, the GeForce NOW Linux beta performs best on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or newer. Users will also need a modern GPU with H.264 or H.265 Vulkan video codec support, such as NVIDIA’s GeForce 10 series or later.
Minimum system requirements include:
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Dual-core x86 or x64 CPU running at 2.0GHz or faster
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At least 4GB of system memory
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Vulkan-compatible graphics support
For optimal performance, NVIDIA recommends installing driver version 580.126.09 or later for its own GPUs. Users with Intel or AMD graphics are advised to use Mesa version 24.2.8.
The application supports both X11 and Wayland, although NVIDIA GPU users are currently encouraged to log in using X11 for better compatibility during the beta phase.
Installing the Recommended NVIDIA Driver
During testing, installing the required NVIDIA driver via Ubuntu’s graphical interface involved the following steps:
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Open Software & Updates
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Navigate to the Additional Drivers tab
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Select NVIDIA driver 580, choosing either:
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nvidia-driver-580-open(recommended for Turing architecture and newer), or -
nvidia-driver-580(proprietary/tested)
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Click Apply Changes
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Reboot the system
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After reboot, verify installation by running
nvidia-smiin the terminal, which should display version 580.126.09
Once installed, the GeForce NOW beta app launches smoothly and immediately showcases its advanced capabilities.
Advanced Visual Features on Linux
The native Linux application unlocks several premium graphical features that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve on the platform. These include YUV 4:4:4 chroma subsampling and Cinematic Quality Streaming mode, allowing for sharper text, richer colors, and reduced compression artifacts.
These enhancements help Linux gamers achieve near-parity with high-end local gaming rigs, all through cloud streaming. Combined with Blackwell’s processing power, the experience feels responsive, fluid, and visually impressive—even at ultra-high resolutions.
Hands-On Testing Experience
To test the beta, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS was installed on a spare SSD in a secondary system. After completing the OS installation, updating drivers, and installing the GeForce NOW Linux app, the interface loaded cleanly and provided extensive customization options.
The settings menu displayed detailed information such as streaming resolution, frame rate, applied filters, and network performance. Testing was conducted on a 4K monitor, which made interface elements appear smaller than usual, but the image quality remained sharp and consistent.
A Big Moment for Linux Gaming
The arrival of GeForce NOW on Linux represents a significant milestone for the platform. By combining native app support, Blackwell-powered cloud infrastructure, and advanced graphical features, NVIDIA has dramatically expanded what’s possible for Linux gamers.
While the app is still in beta, early impressions suggest NVIDIA is serious about making Linux a first-class citizen in its cloud gaming ecosystem. For many users, this could finally remove the last major barrier to gaming on Linux—without compromising performance or visual quality.
