NVIDIA GeForce Now Introduces 100-Hour Monthly Cap Starting January 2026

Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service is about to hit most subscribers with a 100-hour monthly playtime cap starting January 1, 2026, marking the end of unlimited streaming for users who've enjoyed unrestricted access throughout 2025.

GeForce Now has been a popular option for gamers looking to play demanding PC titles without shelling out thousands for high-end hardware. The service streams games directly to phones, tablets, TVs, and even modest computers, making it accessible across multiple devices. With pricing tiers at free, $10 (Performance tier), and $20 (Ultimate tier) monthly, it's been an attractive alternative to building a gaming rig, especially considering how expensive components like memory have become lately.

The 100-hour limit isn't exactly new—Nvidia announced it back in 2024, but only for fresh subscribers joining after January 1, 2025. Existing users got a generous grace period that's now coming to an end. According to Nvidia's original announcement, the change affects less than 6% of users, with the company explaining that it's necessary "to ensure customers continue to receive low to no queue times and a high-quality experience every session."

Once you burn through your monthly allotment, you'll need to purchase additional playtime in 15-hour chunks. Performance tier subscribers pay $2.99 per block, while Ultimate members fork over $5.99. The alternative is dropping down to free tier restrictions, which means dealing with ads and being kicked out every hour to requeue. Not exactly ideal when you're deep into a gaming session.

There's a silver lining for those who don't game constantly—any unused time rolls over to the next month, though you can only carry forward up to 15 hours. As Nvidia's updated FAQ page confirms, "Performance and Ultimate members get 100 hours of monthly playtime. Up to 15 hours of unused playtime can be rolled over to the next month."

The real winners here are the OG Founders members who jumped on GeForce Now before March 17, 2021. They're grandfathered into unlimited playtime for life, provided they keep their subscription active without any lapses.

For context, hitting 100 hours means gaming roughly 3.3 hours daily throughout a 30-day month. Casual players probably won't notice, but dedicated gamers who treat this as their primary hobby might find the restriction annoying.