Nvidia has announced that it's bringing a native GeForce Now app to Steam Deck devices later this year, allowing you to access the cloud gaming subscription service on your handheld device more easily.
In a blog post announcing the new app, Nvidia says Steam Deck users can look forward to "up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with high dynamic range" when connected to an external display.
It's technically already possible to access GeForce Now via your Steam Deck, but you have to use what essentially amounts to a workaround; in May last year, Nvidia released a custom script that installs Google Chrome onto your Deck, then "adds all the settings needed" for GeForce Now streaming via that browser.
As Nvidia points out, your Steam Deck will theoretically draw less power if it's streaming a game from the cloud than if it's using its own internals, although I'd imagine Steam Deck users will want to wait for the app to land so they can see that for themselves.
Of course, you will also need a GeForce Now subscription if you want to stream games via this new app, and given that Nvidia is imposing a 100-hour monthly playtime limit across all of its tiers this month, that may not be a particularly enticing prospect for you.
Still, this seems like a pretty neat way to circumvent the Steam Deck's relatively low power, and it might even help you get past things like the Apex Legends Steam Deck ban (which is technically a Linux-wide ban), although given that the GeForce Now app will be Steam Deck-native, that seems a touch unlikely.
In any case, you'll be able to check out the native GeForce Now app for Steam Deck when it launches later this year. We don't have a full release date for it yet, so watch this space for more info.
