• Local internet service provider rain has confirmed that the server equipment for NVIDIA GeForce Now is in country and the service is being beta tested.
• The beta test is being conducted to insure a smooth and efficient launch as well as to make sure the experience is as smooth as possible.
• The ISP says that it is eyeing a wider launch by “later in Q2” which puts us at June 2023 by the latest.

Back in November local internet service provider rain announced that it would be bringing the game streaming service, NVIDIA GeForce Now to South Africa.

At the time the ISP said that it would be rolling out a limited beta programme during the first quarter of 2023. For those keeping score, we’re now in the second quarter of the year and we’ve heard nary a whisper about this service from rain.

After being rather annoying and sending multiple emails to rain, we finally have an update regarding the service.

“We can confirm that the server equipment is now in-country, and we are working closely with NVIDIA to deliver the best possible gaming experience for our users. The team is hard at work on the BETA trials to ensure a smooth and efficient launch,” rain told Hypertext via email.

As for a wider launch, the same email made mention of that happening “later in Q2”. Realistically then we’re looking at a launch sometime toward the end of June at the latest. This of course hinges on the service making it out of the beta test successfully.

It’s important to remember that NVIDIA GeForce Now demands a beefy internet connection to operate effectively. The firm recommends users have a connection speed of at least 15Mbps for 720p gaming at 60fps and 25Mbps for 1080p gaming at 60fps. Importantly, latency should sit below 40ms. And that’s just what the end user needs, finding the demands on the data centre side is trickier but we can’t imagine it’s a low-cost, low-demand implementation.

Once the service is live however, so long as you have the required internet connection you could be playing Triple A titles you own on a potato with a dual-core CPU, 4GB of memory and an ancient GPU. Or maybe even a new ASUS handheld PC console.

Importantly, you won’t need to be a rain customer in order to access NVIDIA GeForce Now.

“The service will not be limited to rain customers. Anyone will be able to subscribe to the GeForce NOW service through rain. With GeForce NOW and rain all you will need is a screen, compatible controllers, and the internet to stream the latest games,” the ISP told Hypertext last year.

With PC hardware getting increasingly and untenably expensive every year, a service like GeForce Now would be very welcome in South Africa, provided you have the fibre line needed to stream games.

For those interested and looking for updates as they come down the line from rain, head here and key in your contact details to get updates.