OpenCloudGaming/OpenNOW

An open-source desktop client for GeForce NOW.

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Desktop Home, from the OpenNOW Paper design.

OpenNOW is a community-built GeForce NOW client. The desktop app uses Qt Quick for the interface and Rust for account services and streaming. Use a keyboard and mouse, or switch to the console layout for a controller. Both layouts run in the same app.

Look for packages starting with OpenNOW-Qt- in GitHub Releases. Older releases may contain the retired Electron app, so check the release notes before downloading. If there's no published Qt nightly, sign in to GitHub and download the artifacts from a successful qt-ci run on dev.

Nightly platform packages are unsigned. Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning. The macOS app is not notarized; if Gatekeeper blocks it, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway when offered. Do not disable Gatekeeper globally. Published update-enabled nightlies use signed update manifests. Older builds without a pinned signing key need one manual upgrade. Checksums alone detect corrupted downloads; they do not verify who published a package.

The nightly guide covers these packages. The signed candidate workflow builds Windows and Linux, each on x64 and ARM64, and macOS on ARM64; see the release-candidate guide. The separate OpenNOW-Mac project is also available.

These projects are separate from the Qt desktop app.

• Try the iOS beta through TestFlight. The SwiftUI prototype is on the kief5555/ios branch.
• Get the Android app from Google Play.
• Get OpenNOW-Switch for a modded Nintendo Switch. It runs as native Horizon OS homebrew.

These images come from the OpenNOW Paper design. The boards follow the current Qt layouts, but they aren't app screenshots. The games, account details, and statistics are sample content, not proof of game availability or performance.

You can:

• Browse the catalog, save favorites, and organize your library into collections.
• Set the resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and codec your account and device support.
• Open stream menus and statistics without leaving the video.
• Take screenshots and record the source stream to Matroska files. Find both in Media.
• Export a diagnostic report through Settings → About → Copy diagnostics when something breaks.

The Qt app guide lists hardware requirements, experimental features, and platform limitations.

Qt draws the interface and handles windows, navigation, focus, and overlays. The Rust core runs in a separate process. It manages accounts, settings, and catalog requests, then prepares the session. Qt talks to it over a versioned JSON protocol.

The native Rust streamer handles NVST transport, decoding, audio, gameplay input, and recording. Qt loads it in the desktop process through a versioned C ABI. Video stays on the GPU, and Qt draws menus over it in the same window. The app doesn't embed a browser or open a separate video window. The streamer guide explains the graphics backends and how Qt uses them.

Use main for the release source or dev for ongoing development. Before building, install:

• Qt 6.8+ with Quick, Multimedia, and ShaderTools.
• CMake 3.24+ and a C++20 toolchain.
• SDL3, Cargo, and the media dependencies for your platform.

Linux also needs pkg-config, libwayland-dev, and wayland-protocols, even for X11 builds. Check the build guide for platform-specific details.

git clone --branch main https://github.com/OpenCloudGaming/OpenNOW.git
cd OpenNOW
cmake -S opennow-qt -B build/opennow-qt -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
cmake --build build/opennow-qt
ctest --test-dir build/opennow-qt --output-on-failure

You don't need Node.js or npm to build or run the desktop app. The repository uses JavaScript for tools such as the localization checker.

Testing login and gameplay requires a GeForce NOW account. Without one, you can run the smoke tests, screenshot fixtures, and performance checks in the Qt app guide and acceptance runbook.

Start at opennow.zortos.me for setup and configuration help.

opennow-qt/               Qt Quick desktop app, C++ integration, and Qt tests
native/opennow-core/      Rust accounts, settings, catalog, and session services
native/opennow-streamer/  Native NVST transport, media, input, and Qt FFI
locales/                 English source and Crowdin-managed translations
docs/                    Architecture, protocols, acceptance, and release guides
scripts/                 Repository-only localization tooling
.github/                 CI workflows and contributor guidance

For code changes, read the contributing guide and repository guidance. Keep pull requests focused on one change. For translations, edit only locales/en.json. Crowdin manages the other locale files.

Found a bug? Open a GitHub issue with your build, OS, GPU, and steps to reproduce it. For streaming bugs, include a diagnostic export. Check attachments for personal information before posting them. You can also ask for help on Discord.

Blacksmith sponsors OpenNOW's CI.

OpenNOW uses the MIT License.