Shadow adds latest generation Nvidia and AMD GPUs to cloud gaming service

theverge.com:

Shadow is adding a new subscription tier to its cloud gaming service with access to the equivalent of Nvidia and AMD’s latest generation of graphics cards for an additional $14.99 a month. The new Power Upgrade tier is an optional add-on to Shadow’s existing $29.99 subscription service, bringing the total cost to a little under $45. Alongside it, the company is announcing an expansion to more countries, a new online storage service, and a service that makes its cloud-based machines available to professional users.

Unlike Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service or Google Stadia, which only let you stream their games, Shadow’s functionality is a lot broader. It essentially offers you remote access to a Windows 10 desktop in the cloud running on powerful hardware. From there, you can install games from whatever gaming storefront you choose and run them on a machine that might be a lot more powerful than the device you’re streaming it to.

Shadow says the Power Upgrade will get users cloud-based access to a machine running an AMD EPYC 7543P CPU with four cores and eight threads, 16GB of RAM, and a “high-end GPU.” Example GPUs listed include an “Nvidia RTX 3070-class” graphics card, an equivalent Nvidia GPU “tailored for professionals,” and AMD’s latest RDNA 2-based GPUs including the Radeon Pro V620. However, you won’t be able to pick the exact GPU at checkout — it’ll be assigned based on data center availability. In contrast, Shadow’s current $29.99 tier lists the equivalent of a much older GTX 1080 GPU as its graphics card.

Shadow’s new pricing tier makes it more expensive than Nvidia’s equivalent high-end tier for its own GeForce Now streaming service, which is designed to offer RTX 3080-level hardware for $19.99 a month.