Nvidia GeForce Now has the Steam Machine in its sights with native Linux support, expanded peripheral support and much more — here’s all you need to know
GeForce Now has a new target from Valve
Here at Tom’s Guide our expert editors are committed to bringing you the best news, reviews and guides to help you stay informed and ahead of the curve!
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Daily (Mon-Sun)
Tom's Guide Daily
Sign up to get the latest updates on all of your favorite content! From cutting-edge tech news and the hottest streaming buzz to unbeatable deals on the best products and in-depth reviews, we’ve got you covered.
Weekly on Thursday
Tom's AI Guide
Be AI savvy with your weekly newsletter summing up all the biggest AI news you need to know. Plus, analysis from our AI editor and tips on how to use the latest AI tools!
Weekly on Friday
Tom's iGuide
Unlock the vast world of Apple news straight to your inbox. With coverage on everything from exciting product launches to essential software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.
Weekly on Monday
Tom's Streaming Guide
Our weekly newsletter is expertly crafted to immerse you in the world of streaming. Stay updated on the latest releases and our top recommendations across your favorite streaming platforms.
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Nvidia GeForce Now has just received three very welcome updates at CES 2026, including one that is clearly a glancing blow to the Steam Machine. Think of them as the company offering more of the same, and expanding the ways you can play (in particular for Linux users).
Follow all of our CES 2026 live coverage for the biggest gadget news straight from Las Vegas. And be sure to follow Tom's Guide on TikTok for the coolest videos from the show.
That’s right. Team Green’s console killer is coming for Valve with native Linux support, alongside improved peripheral support and Amazon Fire TV support to boot.
The Nvidia GeForce Now RTX 5080 refresher
As you can tell from my video review of the new version of GeForce Now that dropped at Gamescom 2025, I’m quite a fan, and the global rollout is now complete.
With up to 5K 120 FPS gameplay, HDR and DLSS 4 on any device (throw in cinematic quality streaming) — all made possible with not just new gaming hardware components but better optimized cloud servers — it’s my go-to cloud service over anything else like Amazon Luna or Xbox Cloud Gaming.
A battle on two fronts
In that video above, I talk about how GeForce Now is coming to kill console gaming and the traditional PC… Yes, I’m being a little dramatic, but what’s a little showbiz between friends, right!?
Well, Nvidia is continuing that onward march with native Amazon Fire TV support and peripheral support expansion beyond Logitech wheel + pedals to full-blown flight sim sticks. But a new competitor has entered the chat — the Steam Machine, and Nvidia is planning to be there, too.
Three words: native Linux support. So far, GeForce Now has been an app you had to go into Steam Deck’s desktop mode to get, but now it’s a full-blown native client that can be used across any Linux system.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Possibly the best value way to game in the future?
RAM prices are exploding, but you knew that already. This is having a marked impact on gaming PC and laptop prices, which means it could very well become the case that cloud gaming services like GeForce Now at $19.99 for the Ultimate tier become the best value way to play.
And when I say that, it pains me a little. I love to see Nvidia GeForce Now as my alternate gaming option away from home. But given the skyrocketing costs, a monthly cloud gaming subscription may be the default.
But what a good default this is in that case. Again, I’m not litigating game ownership vs access to play them — I’m purely looking at this from a dollars and cents perspective, and until those RAM costs come under control, cloud gaming could be the fill-in for those looking to get into PC gaming on the cheap.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
- I went hands-on with the redesigned MSI Stealth 16 AI+ — it’s actually stealthy now, and gunning for the MacBook Pro
- Gaming on Snapdragon X Elite laptops just got a whole lot better — I tested the latest update and saw 40% faster gameplay
- Intel Panther Lake vs Snapdragon X2 Elite vs AMD Gorgon Point — one chip is already pulling ahead in 2026's CPU war

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.










