Playing NVIDIA GeForce Now games on Steam Deck and other handheld consoles is about to get easier

Steam Deck Steam button.

The Steam button is on the bottom left of the Steam Deck screen. 

(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Centarl)

What you need to know

  • NVIDIA GeForce Now will soon support navigating the streaming service within a browser using any gamepad, such as that on Valve's Steam Deck handheld.
  • The new functionality is available in the latest beta installation method for GeForce Now on Steam Deck.
  • It's already possible to navigate GeForce Now on handheld consoles, but it requires you to use a cursor, which isn't the smoothest experience.

NVIDIA GeForce Now is one of the best game streaming services on the market and Valve's Steam Deck is one of the best handheld gaming consoles. So, you would think that the two would play nicely together. But that hasn't exactly been the case up to this point. While the Steam Deck can stream NVIDIA GeForce Now, you have to launch those games with a mouse cursor. That's not the smoothest experience when you sit down with a gamepad in your hand. Luckily, that limitation is about to change.

The latest beta installation method for GeForce Now on the Steam deck allows you to navigate the game streaming service on a browser with a gamepad. 

The update isn't exclusive to Steam Deck, NVIDIA just chose to highlight that specific handheld console. Other devices get the benefit of the beta update as well, making it easier to stream NVIDIA GeForce Now games on several of the best handheld gaming consoles.

NVIDIA GeForce Now | from $19.99 per month

NVIDIA GeForce Now | from $19.99 per month

This game streaming service allows you to play your favorite PC games on a wide range of devices, including handheld consoles like the Steam Deck. A subscription also allows you to download digital games faster and play games at high resolutions and framerates when playing through NVIDIA's private cloud servers.

More games on NVIDIA GeForce Now

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is one of 24 games coming to NVIDIA GeForce Now this month. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

On top of adding support for navigating GeForce Now with a gamepad within a browser, NVIDIA is bringing 24 more games to its service in May. More than half of those games arrive on NVIDIA GeForce Now on their respective launch dates, including Little Kitty, Big City, The Rogue Prince of Persia, Norland, and Crowns Wars: The Black Prince. Honkai: Star Rail will also be added to NVIDIA GeForce Now on May 7, 2024 when the game receives an update to version 2.2.

Here are the games coming to the NVIDIA GeForce Now library this week:

  • Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
  • Stormgate Closed Beta (New release on Steam, April 30, sign up for access)
  • Gray Zone Warfare (New release on Steam, April 30)
  • MotoGP24 (New release on Steam, May 2)
  • FOUNDRY (New release on Steam, May 2)
  • INDIKA (New release on Steam, May 2)
  • Orcs Must Die! 3 (New release on Epic Games Store, May 2)

The following games will come to NVIDIA GeForce Now later this month:

  • Little Kitty, Big City (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, May 9)
  • Ships at Sea (New release on Steam, May 9)
  • The Rogue Prince of Persia (New release on Steam, May 14)
  • Men of War II (New release on Steam, May 15)
  • Die by the Blade (New release on Steam, May 16)
  • Norland (New release on Steam, May 16)
  • Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (New release on Steam, May 21)
  • Synergy (New release on Steam, May 21)
  • SunnySide (New release on Steam, May 21)
  • Crown Wars: The Black Prince (New release on Steam, May 23)
  • Capes (New release on Steam, May 29)
  • Colony Survival (Steam)
  • Exo One (Steam)
  • Farmer’s Life (Steam)
  • Honkai: Star Rail (Epic Games Store)
  • Phantom Brigade (Steam)
  • Supermarket Simulator (Steam)

The new games expand the already vast library of titles available through GeForce Now. You can now launch those games more easily when on devices like the Steam Deck, assuming you're using the latest beta installation method of GeForce Now.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.