After months of anticipation and revised timelines, Nvidia has finally offered fresh clarity on the launch of its cloud gaming service, GeForce Now, in India. The company has confirmed that the service will first roll out as an open beta, with a wider public launch expected shortly thereafter.
The announcement signals a major step for cloud gaming in India, especially at a time when high-end PC hardware remains expensive for most users.
Open beta ahead of full launch
GeForce Now in India will be powered by Nvidia’s latest RTX 5080 Super Pods, built on the new Blackwell architecture. This setup allows gamers to stream graphically demanding PC titles directly from the cloud, eliminating the need for powerful local hardware. According to Nvidia, the service is built on three core principles: strong partnerships with game publishers, deploying GeForce technologies entirely in the cloud, and turning almost any device into a virtual GeForce RTX-powered gaming system.
While Nvidia has not announced an exact launch date or subscription pricing for India, users will be able to create a free account. However, advanced features and higher performance tiers will remain part of paid plans.
Access to over 4,000 games
Nvidia said GeForce Now in India will support more than 4,000 games. This includes ready-to-play titles as well as a new “install-to-play” option, which lets users install select games directly from the cloud. The platform integrates with existing game libraries from Steam, Epic Games Store, and Battle.net, meaning users can stream games they already own.
The service was first announced for India at CES 2025, with an initial rollout planned for late 2025. However, the timeline was pushed to early 2026 as Nvidia focused on setting up dedicated RTX-powered servers within the country.
India-focused approach
Speaking at an exclusive media preview held in Mumbai, John Gillooly, Senior Technical Marketing Manager for APAC South at Nvidia, said India remains a key market with significant growth potential. He pointed out that high PC costs often act as a barrier for Indian gamers, and GeForce Now is designed to lower that entry threshold.
Gillooly also noted that the Indian open beta will not be a direct copy of the service offered in other regions. Instead, Nvidia plans to customise the experience to suit local network conditions and user behaviour, with more India-specific details expected soon.
Built for low-latency gaming
Nvidia confirmed that the GeForce Now servers for India are located in Mumbai. Keeping data centres within the country is critical for cloud gaming, as lower physical distance helps reduce latency during fast-paced gameplay. The service is optimised for click-to-play latency using technologies such as Nvidia Reflex and Rivermax, along with features like Cloud G-Sync and high-frame-rate streaming on supported devices.
GeForce Now supports a wide range of platforms, including PCs, smartphones, Fire TV sticks, Steam Deck, Linux systems, and even VR headsets, though VR is currently limited to a virtual screen experience rather than native VR gameplay.
Launch amid global chip shortages
The India rollout comes against the backdrop of a global memory chip shortage driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence workloads. While reports suggest Nvidia has delayed certain gaming GPU launches due to supply constraints, company executives declined to comment on whether these shortages could impact GeForce Now’s expansion.
Growing cloud gaming competition
Nvidia’s move also coincides with Microsoft expanding its Xbox Cloud Gaming offering in India. Microsoft’s service allows users with an Xbox Game Pass subscription to stream popular titles using a compatible controller and a stable internet connection.
However, GeForce Now follows a different model by focusing on streaming games users already own on third-party platforms, rather than locking access behind a single subscription library.
Right time for cloud gaming in India
Nvidia believes the timing is ideal. According to the company, while overall consumer PC growth has been modest, gaming PCs have seen steady momentum in India. Rising broadband speeds, improving network infrastructure, and a growing PC gaming audience have created favourable conditions for high-quality cloud gaming.
With India’s data centre capacity projected to expand rapidly over the next few years and supportive policy measures encouraging foreign investment, GeForce Now’s arrival could mark a turning point for PC gaming accessibility in the country.
As Nvidia prepares to open the beta to Indian users, all eyes are now on pricing, performance consistency, and how well the service adapts to real-world network conditions across regions.
