What if your living-room streamer could do the heavy lifting of a gaming PC?
Nvidia used CES 2026 to answer that question. The company announced native GeForce NOW apps for Linux (starting with a beta for Ubuntu 24.04) and for select Amazon Fire TV sticks, letting players stream RTX-powered PC games to more devices without a local high-end GPU.
The headlines — and the hardware behind them
Nvidia says its cloud servers are now running GeForce RTX 5080-class hardware, and those servers power the highest-performance tier of GeForce NOW. That unlocks features like Cinematic-Quality Streaming, ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS upscaling and very high frame-rate modes — the company touts up to 5K at 120 fps and up to 360 fps at 1080p in supported scenarios, plus NVIDIA Reflex for lower latency.
On the client side, the new Linux app (Ubuntu 24.04 to start) is aimed at users who previously had to rely on browser workarounds. The Fire TV app will arrive first on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), with Nvidia saying availability will follow in markets where the devices and GeForce NOW are both offered. Controllers work over Bluetooth or USB, and the service supports familiar gamepad input — as well as exotic peripherals like joysticks, throttles and yokes for flight sims from Thrustmaster and Logitech.
For full details from Nvidia, see their announcement: NVIDIA blog.
Why this matters
Cloud gaming has always promised to remove the need for expensive hardware, but real-world quality depends on both server power and how well the service integrates with your devices. Native Linux support brings GeForce RTX-level gaming to machines that might otherwise be sidelined by driver or browser limitations — handy for Linux laptops, desktops and handhelds. It also dovetails with Valve/Steam ecosystem moves that have expanded cloud-friendly handheld options; Nvidia’s push complements that trend and helps handheld and budget-PC owners jump straight into high-fidelity PC titles without upgrading local hardware. See how Valve’s handhelds are getting more cloud-friendly in our coverage of Steam Deck changes here.
Meanwhile, the Fire TV client could be the cheapest path to high-end PC graphics in the living room: plug in a controller, sign into GeForce NOW, and stream the games from your PC libraries to the big screen. If you want to check availability of the Fire TV Stick models Nvidia named, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is often easy to find available on Amazon.
Games, controllers and account conveniences
Nvidia also highlighted upcoming PC launches that will be available on GeForce NOW at release — titles such as 007 First Light, Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert and Active Matter. On the accessibility front, the service is adding single sign-on improvements so supported game stores authenticate faster (Battle.net automatic sign-in was an example already rolling out), and Gaijin.net sign-in support is coming soon.
Sim fans get a concrete upgrade: dedicated flight controls will work in the cloud, meaning throttle-and-stick setups can be used with flight sims like Microsoft Flight Simulator, Elite Dangerous and War Thunder without a local RTX card doing the rendering.
Plans, limits and price notes
Nvidia says the Linux beta and the Fire TV app will arrive early this year in supported regions; the company hasn’t given an exact date for a mass rollout. GeForce NOW still offers a free, ad-supported tier with session limits; paid tiers raise resolution, remove ads and increase session length and frame-rate options. For the most accurate, up-to-date pricing and regional availability, check Nvidia’s GeForce NOW pages linked in the official announcement.
This move also sits inside a broader scramble to democratize high-end gaming: with component prices fluctuating, streaming services have become an attractive alternative to buying or upgrading a PC. And with more living-room devices embracing cloud play, you can compare how other platforms are leaning into TV streaming—Sony’s cloud moves for the PlayStation Portal are one example of that trend covered here.
Nvidia is steadily widening the types of screens and controllers GeForce NOW supports. If the rollout goes smoothly, the result could be a lot more people firing up modern PC games from devices they already own — from dusty Linux laptops to bargain Fire TV sticks — and leaving the heavy lifting to the cloud.