Streaming service
Management is wondering where Dave Meikleham and Alex Wawro are. Perhaps those noises from the server dungeon aren’t those of hard work…
Good news, Steam Deck fans: Nvidia is making it G a little easier to use its GeForce Now game streaming service on Valve’s Linux-based handheld gaming device.
This is important because, until now, getting the game streaming service running on a Steam Deck was possible, but tedious because Nvidia’s GeForce Now Windows 11 app doesn’t play well with Steam Deck’s SteamOS interface. Instead, many Deck owners use GeForce Now by switching to Desktop Mode, firing up a browser window and streaming their GeForce Now games through it – a useful dodge to get Fortnite up and running on the Deck, for example.
However, completely out of the blue, Nvidia updated its GeForce Now download page with a new Steam Deck (Beta) download link that, when clicked, downloads an applet that automagically puts a link to GeForce Now right in your Steam Deck library, alongside all your other Steam games.
What it’s really doing is adding a custom Google Chrome shortcut to your Steam Deck library that’s automatically configured for gamepad support and optimal game streaming to Valve’s handheld. The GeForce Now app also now supports browsing via gamepad, which is a big usability upgrade from the days when Steam Deck users had to navigate the app via the handheld’s trackpads.
However, it’s still far from perfect, which is why it’s nice that Nvidia has clearly flagged this download as a beta version of the installer. If you head over to the customer support section (https://bit.ly/lxf317nvidia) of Nvidia’s website, you can find a detailed help document that outlines multiple ways to install GeForce Now on Steam Deck. This includes methods of setting it up yourself if you’d rather not use the new GeForce Now installation script.
Setting up settings
There are some useful tips and tricks from Nvidia in that document that are worth skimming if you’re planning on doing this to your Steam Deck, because there are some settings that you should tweak for the optimal GeForce Now experience. Most notably, Nvidia warns that some games require you to enable gamepad input within their in-game settings menus before you can play using the Deck’s pad, with Genshin Impact getting c
