Nvidia GeForce Now RTX 5080 Review: Nearly Indistinguishable From Local Gaming
▼ Summary
– Nvidia’s GeForce Now upgrade offers RTX 5080-level performance, with the author noting no perceptible latency during hands-on testing of Apex Legends at 1440p.
– The service achieves remarkably low system latency, measured at 16-20 ms in Overwatch 2 at 1080p/360fps, comparable to local gaming setups.
– Nvidia’s “super pods” use custom Blackwell server hardware optimized for streaming workloads, delivering performance that sometimes exceeds consumer RTX 5080 GPUs.
– While competitive shooters perform excellently, the author observed significant latency issues in high-fidelity games like Borderlands and Black Myth: Wukong at 4K settings.
– The rollout of the upgraded GFN experience begins immediately with limited game compatibility, with Nvidia planning strategic server fleet upgrades over time.
Nvidia’s latest GeForce Now upgrade delivers an experience so seamless that it challenges the very notion of local gaming. Powered by the new Blackwell architecture, the service now offers what the company calls “RTX 5080 performance”, and in some cases, even exceeds it. During recent testing, competitive titles like Apex Legends at 1440p felt indistinguishable from running natively on a high-end rig, with latency so low it defies the typical drawbacks of game streaming.
For fast-paced shooters, responsiveness is everything. At 1080p, the platform now supports up to 360 fps, a feature demonstrated with Overwatch 2. Using a specialized latency measurement tool, input delay consistently hovered around 16 to 20 milliseconds, a figure that rivals, and sometimes beats, many local gaming setups. This level of performance makes cloud-based competitive play not just viable, but genuinely compelling.
The magic lies in Nvidia’s custom “super pods,” which are far more than just servers housing off-the-shelf GPUs. These are purpose-built systems designed specifically for streaming workloads, incorporating Blackwell architecture with an eye toward future AI enhancements. As one product manager clarified, the term “5080 performance” refers to rasterization capabilities comparable to the consumer GPU, though the underlying hardware is optimized for a very different task.
Still, the experience isn’t flawless across the board. While competitive titles shine, graphically intensive games running at 4K with high settings, such as recent Borderlands entries or Black Myth: Wukong, exhibited noticeable latency. This appears tied to the use of frame generation technologies like MFG, which boost visual smoothness but can introduce input lag. The concern is that such tech might discourage developers from optimizing base performance, compounding latency issues when combined with streaming.
Nvidia acknowledges this trade-off, noting that competitive games typically don’t rely on frame generation, while story-driven titles can better absorb minor delays. Yet even in those cinematic experiences, some players may find the lag distracting. It remains unclear whether the latency stems from encoding, frame generation, or the enhanced “Cinematic Quality Streaming” mode, which improves color and detail at the cost of slight delay.
The rollout of the upgraded GeForce Now tier is already underway, though game compatibility will expand gradually. Expect regular announcements each Thursday detailing new additions capable of leveraging the Blackwell hardware. While Nvidia plans to eventually upgrade its entire server fleet, the timeline remains uncertain. For now, the service offers a glimpse into a future where top-tier gaming requires little more than a solid internet connection, and where the line between local and streamed play grows increasingly faint.
(Source: pcgamer)
