NVIDIA Expands GeForce NOW With Native Linux And Fire TV Apps At CES 2026, While The RTX 5080 Tier Adds More AAA Games And New Control Features
NVIDIA is extending the reach of GeForce NOW at CES 2026 with 2 platform moves that matter for real world adoption: a native Linux client and a native Amazon Fire TV client. For Linux gamers and creator setups that already rely on Linux desktops, this shifts GeForce NOW from workaround territory into a first class experience, making cloud gaming easier to deploy across more rigs, more living rooms, and more lightweight systems that do not want to carry a high wattage GPU locally.
On Linux, NVIDIA is framing the new app as a native solution that starts with a focused rollout, with early reporting indicating a beta approach beginning with Ubuntu 24.04, and expansion planned over time to additional Linux distributions. That matters because the biggest friction point for Linux cloud gaming has never been interest, it has been consistency and ease of setup. A native client simplifies onboarding and gives NVIDIA a cleaner foundation for support, updates, and performance tuning.
On Fire TV, NVIDIA is also going native, bringing GeForce NOW to the couch in a way that aligns with how many gamers actually consume games today. The initial availability is expected to target specific Fire TV Stick models such as Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, letting players stream PC class titles with a controller from a small, low power device, which is precisely the kind of footprint advantage cloud gaming is built to deliver.
Beyond platform reach, NVIDIA is stacking quality of life upgrades that strengthen GeForce NOW as a service, not just an app. New support for flight controls is being added, aimed at improving the experience in titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator with peripherals such as joysticks and yokes. NVIDIA is also improving account and sign in workflows with single sign on enhancements, including Battle.net automatic sign in, with additional services mentioned as coming later. These are the kinds of operational improvements that reduce friction for subscribers and make the service feel more like a native PC rather than a streamed session.
On the content side, NVIDIA is refreshing the value proposition of the RTX 5080 tier by adding more AAA games to that subscription tier, including Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, and Active Matter. NVIDIA is positioning these additions as part of a steady cadence, and it is also noted that an additional 14 games were added on January 01 2026, reinforcing the idea that the library is continuing to expand at pace.
For the RTX 5080 class cloud tier itself, NVIDIA is marketing the usual flagship talking points that resonate with performance focused players: play on multiple devices, up to 5K 120 FPS or 1080p 360 FPS streaming targets, RTX features such as ray tracing, HDR, and DLSS 4, plus Reflex for latency reduction, all wrapped into a service that NVIDIA says spans 4000+ games. Availability is being communicated for North America, Europe, and Japan, with more regions planned later. Pricing referenced for the RTX 5080 tier is 19.99$ per month.
From a gamer strategy standpoint, the Linux and Fire TV move is the bigger story than any single game drop. Linux is a growing enthusiast and handheld adjacent ecosystem, and Fire TV expands the living room footprint where consoles have historically dominated. NVIDIA is effectively trying to make GeForce NOW feel ubiquitous across desktop, handheld, and TV surfaces, then reinforce retention through steady library expansion and tangible workflow improvements like easier sign in and better peripheral support.
If GeForce NOW is now native on Linux and Fire TV, would you actually consider shifting your main gaming time toward cloud streaming, or do you still prefer local hardware even if it costs more to upgrade?
