If your PC isn't powerful enough to handle Stalker 2's impeccably janky vibes, I'm here to tell you that the best way to play it is on GeForce Now
Nov. 21, 2024The game is fantastic, but it’s very demanding on your hardware
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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobylis out now and you can play it via GeForce Now. This is great news for people like me with crappy laptops, as while Stalker 2 is a fantastic, atmospheric experience, it’s also very buggy and demanding even on mid-range computers.
InStalker 2 review, Andy wrote it was “The best but most broken game I’ve played all year.” After reviewing the game myself, I agree. I played on a laptop with an i7 core and anNvidiaRTX 2070, but even on medium settings there was frequent texture pop, my frame rate tanked whenever I went to an area with a lot of NPCs, and I lost track of how many times the audio for my guns simply stopped working.
I’m back to using my crappy writing laptop which only has an integrated graphics card, but what I do have is a fast internet connection, which is all you need to stream games via the cloud on GeForce Now. It’s anNvidiaservice that allows you to stream games you already own using the company’s servers, meaning you can play on your phone, mac, laptop, and even smart TV without needing to buy expensive hardware.
There’s a free tier you can use if you want to just trial it. This has ads and limits you to one hour play sessions, but it’s a good taster. The performance tier has no ads, six hour play sessions, and Nvidia RTX, so the game will look better on it. The ultimate tier has eight hour sessions (though you should probably take breaks) and gives you DLSS frame generation as well, meaning even the busiest parts of the Zone should look smooth. You can check out the tiers for yourselfhere. I use the ultimate tier, but the premium tier will be perfect for most of you and it’s half the price of ultimate.
There’s also a deal on right now for 25% off a day pass so you can try out the premium and ultimate memberships and see which you prefer. It’s only available until Friday, November 22, socheck out the details hereif you’re interested.
Also being added to GFN alongside Stalker 2 are the game of the year editions ofFallout 3andThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Fallout 3 is my absolute favorite Fallout game – and yes I’ve played New Vegas and the originals, I said what I said.
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If you’d prefer to just upgrade your hardware instead, you should check out thebest PC graphics cardsavailable this year. We’ve also got a comprehensive list ofStalker 2 guidesto help you survive the brutally oppressive Zone.
I’m Issy, a freelancer who you’ll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I’ve always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you’ll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I’m currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.
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