How to set up GeForce NOW on the Steam Deck

The latest Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers enable GeForce NOW on Steam Deck, which means you can now access NVIDIA’s cloud-based game streaming service on your Steam Deck. Being able to access all these last-gen game is pretty nifty, especially on the go.

What will you need? At least a 15Mbps internet connection if you are aiming for 720p@60 FPS. We recommend 25Mbps for 1080p@60 FPS. If you have a GeForce NOW RTX 3080 Membership, you can stream at 2K@120 FPS and 4K@120 FPS, which is even superior to Xbox Gaming Cloud's resolution.

Once we have clarified that, it is time to see how you can actually set up GeForce NOW on your nice portable Steam Deck.

How to set up GeForce NOW on Steam Deck

As of late 2023, GeForce NOW still doesn't have an official app for Steam Deck. But you can easily use the service by streaming via a browser such as Google Chrome.

GeForce NOW will enable you to play titles like Destiny 2 on Steam Deck, which is not possible otherwise. With that in mind, here are the steps to set up GeForce NOW on Steam Deck.

• Switch to Desktop Mode on your Steam Deck.
• Install Chrome via the Discover Store.
• Open Konsole and type in the following command in the window that appears: flatpak --user override --filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.google.Chrome
• Add Chrome to Steam as a non-steam program.
• Right-click on Chrome in Steam and go to Properties, do the following:
  • Change name from Chrome to Geforce NOW.
  • Scroll down to LAUNCH OPTIONS and append the following (after @@u @@): --window-size=1280,800 --force-device-scale-factor=1.00 --device-scale-factor=1.00 --kiosk "https://play.geforcenow.com"
  • Make sure there is a space after the last @ symbol and --window-size
  • The Launch Options should look like this once you've added the additional command above to it: run --branch=stable --arch=x86_64 --command=/app/bin/chrome --file-forwarding com.google.Chrome @@u @@ --window-size=1280,800 --force-device-scale-factor=1.00 --device-scale-factor=1.00 --kiosk "https://play.geforcenow.com"
• Finally, set the Controller Config to Gamepad with Mouse Trackpad.

At this point GeForce NOW is ready to go. Return to Gaming Mode, open Steam, select Geforce NOW and click Play. This will load up Geforce NOW in Chrome in full screen with no evidence to suggest we are launching a web browser, which makes it look native.

To make the Geforce NOW card look neat and appear like a native app in Game Mode on the Steam Deck, you can use SteamGridDB or BoilR to get some images.

Read more: Best GTA V settings for Steam Deck

How to solve problems connecting to GeForce NOW on Steam Deck

Unfortunately, some things can go wrong. Several Steam Deck users have reportedseeing the error message “There was a problem connecting to GeForce Now,” when trying to connect to the website. It appears the issue is not exclusive to Steam Deck users. Luckily, there are some easy fixes.

If you are encountering “There was a problem connecting to GeForce Now” on Steam Deck, here is what you need to do.

• Check GeForce Now server status to see if they are up and running.

• If the server in your region is down, use a VPN to connect to a different server.
• Run a speed test to check whether your Internet speed meets the minimum requirement to run GeForce NOW.
• Try restarting your network device.

Hopefully, one of the suggestions will work for you. If not, you can try to solve it with the help of a Customer Care agent here. You can also discuss your issue with the GeForce NOW Community on their forums as players who have already had this issue might be able to help you.

Since you are here, have a look at the best power bank and dock for Steam Deck. In case you aren't aware, Steam Deck is now available on Amazon for purchase.