Having games in your Steam library doesn’t guarantee they’re available through your usual cloud gaming service. Nuage offers another way to access them, using Linux cloud PCs to stream games directly to your browser. The service launched on October 16 with 50 free gaming hours each month.
With Nuage, you’re assigned a Linux cloud PC running Steam. You sign in with your own account and play games you already own. Some games come preinstalled, so you can start playing without downloading anything. For other Steam games, you can download them to your cloud PC, provided they work with Proton. Your saves and settings carry over between sessions, but games outside the instant-play selection need downloading again the next time you play.
The service currently has 21 games available for instant play, including Cyberpunk 2077, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3. Black Myth: Wukong and AION 2 joined the selection on October 19.
Steam Games Run on Linux Cloud PCs
Each session gets its own cloud PC, which is wiped before the next player uses it. Nuage uses Proton to run many Windows games on Linux, but some games with restrictive anti-cheat systems won’t launch. Steam Workshop mods are also retained between sessions.
You can connect your Steam account by scanning a QR code with the Steam app, or sign in directly through Steam on your cloud PC. Nuage recommends a modern browser and an internet connection of around 20 Mbps. Both controllers and keyboard-and-mouse controls are supported.
The machines use NVIDIA L4, A10G or T4 GPUs, depending on the game and available capacity. In its own measurements, Nuage recorded 60 fps streaming, typically at 1080p, with support for resolutions up to 1920 × 1200.
Preparing a cloud PC took a median of 2.6 minutes after pressing Play. The median time to enter a game was 8.8 minutes, including Steam sign-in and startup. Reducing that wait is one of Nuage’s current priorities.
Free and Pro Plans Come With Six-Hour Sessions
The Free plan includes 50 hours a month. You can play the first hour without a card, then verify a payment card through Stripe to unlock the rest. Nuage says the card won’t be charged for Free access.
When I asked Nuage founder Jordy Kieto about the free hours, he clarified that only time spent running a game counts. Steam sign-in, library browsing, loading screens and downloads don’t use your allowance. A paused game still counts because it’s running. If no game is open and nothing is downloading for 30 minutes, the session closes automatically without counting that idle time.
Free and Pro sessions run for up to six hours, and you can start another immediately. Pro costs US$19.99 a month plus applicable tax, removes the monthly hour cap and gives subscribers priority when machines are busy. Fair-use restrictions and available capacity still apply.
Nuage shares some features with GeForce NOW, Boosteroid and Shadow PC. Each handles game access and installations differently.
| Service | Game access | Installing games | Free access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuage | Steam games compatible with Proton | 21 preinstalled games, plus downloadable compatible games each session | 50 hours/month; card after first hour |
| GeForce NOW | Supported games across several PC storefronts | Eligible Steam Install-to-Play games on paid plans | Ad-supported Free membership |
| Boosteroid | Games in its Library or Install sections | Only games listed in its Install section | Subscription required for its cloud gaming library |
| Shadow PC | Full Windows PC with Steam, Epic, GOG and other stores | Install games and keep them on your cloud PC between sessions | No ongoing free plan |
Nuage Attracts About 500 Signups in Its First 48 Hours
Following Nuage’s October 16 launch, Kieto took to Reddit to introduce his new cloud gaming service to the r/cloudygamer community. He explained how it lets players access their Steam games directly through a browser, without setting up a traditional cloud PC.
The early interest came quickly. Kieto told me that about 500 people signed up during Nuage’s first 48 hours, mostly through Reddit. He said 63% of those registrations came from outside the US.
Demand exposed an early problem with GPU availability. Nuage’s new cloud-provider account initially had limited GPU capacity, causing some sessions to fail. Kieto spent the next 24 hours working to address the shortage. He’s since been working on Steam sign-in, startup times and phone controls.
Born in Montreal and raised in Edmonton, Kieto spent part of his tech career in Toronto. He’s currently a senior research scientist at Riot Games and previously held engineering roles at Google, Meta and Uber. The idea for Nuage came while he was travelling through Africa and Europe and wanted to play his Steam games without carrying a gaming PC.
He’s running Nuage alone and funding the free hours himself. Depending on the game and hardware, he estimates those hours cost him about 20 cents to more than a dollar each. Nuage isn’t making money yet, and he hopes Pro subscriptions will eventually help cover the costs.
More Instant Games and International Servers Are Planned
Nuage currently runs on AWS servers in Northern California, Oregon, Northern Virginia and Ohio. The service is available in Canada, with players assigned to US machines based on location and capacity. Kieto says Toronto and Montreal usually connect through Virginia or Ohio, while Canada’s West Coast typically connects through Oregon.
Kieto also wants players to see their entire Steam library before starting a session. The planned view would identify which games launch instantly, which need downloading and which won’t run. More preinstalled games and servers outside the US are planned, but no release dates have been announced.
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