Fortnite Returns To iPhones And iPads Via GeForce Now, How You Like Them Apples?
Fortnite is finally coming back to iPhone and iPad devices, though not because Epic Games and Apple ended their legal dispute and came to a mutual resolution. We're still waiting to see how that situation ultimately plays out (and we be waiting quite a while). However, Fortnite is getting ready to land on iOS and Safari through NVIDIA's GeForce NOW game streaming service. It will also be available to play on Android devices through GeForce NOW.
Let us say upfront that we have been generally pleased with GeForce NOW and the progress NVIDIA has made to its game streaming service. If you haven't already, check out our GeForce NOW RTX 3080 review to see how the upper tier performed in our testing (spoiler: really well). There are other tiers available too, though that one gives you the longest playtime.
It's worth noting that Android users could already stream Fortnite through GeForce NOW, albeit the desktop version. This new version has been optimized for touch input.
"Alongside the amazing team at Epic Games, we’ve been working to enable a touch-friendly version of Fortnite for mobile delivered through the cloud. While PC games in the GeForce NOW library are best experienced on mobile with a gamepad, the introduction of touch controls built by the GeForce NOW team offers more options for players, starting with Fortnite," NVIDIA says.
Fortnite on GeForce NOW will launch next week in a limited-time closed beta for mobile, streamed through the Safari web browser on iOS and the GeForce NOW app on Android. The upcoming beta is currently open for registration. It's not clear how many people NVIDIA will bring into the close beta fold, but it will be enough so that it can test its server capacity, graphics delivery, and new touch controls performance. NVIDIA says it will add members to the beta in batches over the coming weeks.
"We’re just getting started. Cloud-to-mobile gaming is a great opportunity for publishers to get their games into more gamers’ hands with touch-friendly versions of their games. PC games or game engines, like Unreal Engine 4, which support Windows touch events can easily enable mobile touch support on GeForce NOW," NVIDIA says.
A paid membership is not required to play GeForce NOW or to participate in the beta. The free tier offers standard access to gaming servers and 1-hour sessions. Next up from that is the Priority tier, which runs $9.99 per month or $49.99 for six months, and includes more powerful hardware, RTX capabilities, priority access to servers, up to 1080p at 60 fps, and 6-hour sessions. Finally, the RTX 3080 tier runs $99.99 for six months and grants exclusive access to RTX 3080 servers, up to 1440p at 120 fps (PC and Mac) and up to 4K HDR on SHIELD TV, and 8-hour sessions.
