Activision's highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to launch on October 25, and gamers will be able to stream the game on day one via Nvidia's GeForce Now service. Nvidia has officially confirmed that Black Ops 6 will be among the supported titles on GeForce Now in October. Those who purchase the game on Steam or Battle.net will be able to stream it through GeForce Now immediately upon release. This aligns with Activision and Nvidia's previous collaborations, as 2023's Modern Warfare III and the Black Ops 6 multiplayer beta earlier this year were also available for streaming on GeForce Now. Additionally, Call of Duty: Warzone is already accessible via the service.
During Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, cloud-gaming rights were a significant issue. To address regulatory concerns, Microsoft negotiated agreements with companies like Nvidia to ensure future titles, including Black Ops 6, would be available on streaming platforms beyond Microsoft's Xbox cloud gaming. As of now, Microsoft has not confirmed whether Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox cloud gaming.
GeForce Now is Nvidia's game-streaming platform, accessible across North America and Europe. Instead of requiring a high-end gaming PC or console, GeForce Now streams games from Nvidia's powerful server farms, which utilize GeForce RTX 4080 SuperPODs. Nvidia claims that subscribers to the highest tier ($20/month) will experience the best frame rates and visual fidelity, including ray-tracing, making the streaming experience nearly indistinguishable from local gameplay, though this depends on the quality and consistency of the user's internet connection.
To stream Black Ops 6, players must first own a copy of the game on Steam or Battle.net. They then need to sign up for a GeForce Now plan and link their accounts. The free plan offers limited access, including one hour of game time per day, ads, and basic rig streaming. The Priority membership ($10/month) provides a premium rig with RTX, priority server access, six hours of daily game time, up to 1080p/60fps, and no ads. The Ultimate package ($20/month) offers streaming from an RTX 4080 rig, exclusive access to 4080 servers, eight hours of daily game time, up to 4K/240fps, and no ads. Day passes for Priority and Ultimate are also available for $4 and $8, respectively.
Given the relatively new nature of game-streaming technologies, some may question whether GeForce Now is a viable way to play Black Ops 6 or any of the over 1,500 supported games. Reviews from reputable sources like PC Mag, IGN, and PC World are overwhelmingly positive about the service. However, individual experiences may vary. Nvidia recommends a hardwired Ethernet connection or a 5 GHz WiFi router for optimal performance, with a network latency of less than 80ms required for GeForce Now to function effectively. For the best control experience, Nvidia suggests using a USB gaming mouse, though Xbox and PlayStation controllers, as well as other gamepads, are also supported.
