At the beginning of the year, I informed you that NVIDIA planned to add native Linux support to GeForce NOW. That’s no longer just a rumor. It’s now real, and starting today, you can try it out for yourself, as the company has released a native app for Linux PCs in beta, and it’s available for download.
For Linux users, this marks a notable shift from the service’s earlier, more limited approach. Until now, GeForce NOW on Linux was largely associated with a Steam Deck–focused experience, tuned for handheld hardware and modest resolutions.
The new beta app, however, is different. It’s built for traditional desktops and laptops and aims to mirror the full GeForce NOW experience already available on Windows and macOS.
To install it, download the GeForceNOWSetup.bin file, grant it executable permissions, and run it from the command line. Interestingly, the installer is actually a Flatpak package. If Flatpak isn’t already installed on your system, it’s installed automatically before installing the application.
The app currently supports Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and newer releases. Once installed, it allows Linux systems to stream PC games rendered on NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX hardware in the cloud. According to NVIDIA, supported configurations can reach up to 5K resolution at 120 fps, or up to 360 fps at 1080p, depending on the display and service tier.
Because the heavy lifting happens remotely, local hardware requirements are minimal. Games are rendered on RTX-class GPUs in NVIDIA’s data centers, with features such as ray tracing and DLSS 4 handled entirely in the cloud. In practice, this means Linux machines without powerful GPUs can still run visually demanding titles at high settings.
On top of that, the Linux beta launch coincides with a batch of new games joining the service. Among them are The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut and The Bard’s Tale Trilogy, both available through Steam and Xbox, including via Game Pass. Other additions this week include Cairn, Prototype, Prototype 2, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Half Sword, Vampires: Bloodlord Rising, and Total War: Three Kingdoms.
NVIDIA is also lining up future releases, with Team Jade’s Delta Force set to arrive on GeForce NOW on February 3. As with the rest of the catalog, these titles stream instantly, with no local installs or lengthy downloads.
For more information, see the official NVIDIA announcement.
