Nvidia is set to enhance its GeForce Now service next month through an exciting collaboration with Discord and Epic Games. This partnership aims to pilot a feature that would allow users to sample games instantly within Discord servers, eliminating the need for prior purchases, downloads, or account creations.
This concept may evoke memories of Gaikai’s original mission to provide instant, trial-based access to games, a vision also echoed in Google’s Stadia, which attempted similar demos through web browsers and search queries. During Gamescom this week, Nvidia plans to showcase this idea by enabling players to try out Fortnite directly through Discord.
According to Andrew Fear, Nvidia’s product marketing director, players can simply click a button that says ‘try a game,’ link their Epic Games account, and enter the game within seconds without any lengthy downloads or installations.
An Nvidia video indicates that the Fortnite demo will be available for a 30-minute trial, showcasing what this feature could look like:
While this feature streamlines the access process, players will still need an Epic Games account to play. Currently, it remains uncertain if this demo will extend beyond the Gamescom event. Nvidia refers to this initiative as a “technology announcement,” not yet a fully established feature, and expresses hope that game developers will engage if they are interested in adopting this concept.
Following Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai in 2012, it was anticipated that the PlayStation 4 would offer similar instant demos, a promise that ultimately remained unfulfilled. As time passed, Gaikai’s founder indicated that game publishers were generally reluctant to pursue this model.
