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.
[!NOTE]
OpenNOW 1.0.0 rebuilds the desktop client with Qt Quick and a native Rust streaming
engine. It replaces the retired Electron app. See the
announcement post for a first look at the new UI.
[!IMPORTANT]
You need your own GeForce NOW account. Your subscription, region, and hardware
determine which games and stream settings you can use. OpenNOW is not affiliated
with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NVIDIA. NVIDIA and GeForce NOW are trademarks
of NVIDIA Corporation.
[!WARNING]
The Qt app is still under development. Expect bugs, including platform-specific
streaming and GPU issues. It has no Chromium/WebRTC fallback. Publishing a build
does not mean it has passed every check in the acceptance checklist.
Get OpenNOW
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.
Platform
Qt package
How to run it
Windows x64 / ARM64
.msi, portable .zip
Install the MSI, or extract the entire ZIP and run bin/OpenNOW.exe.
Linux x64 / ARM64
.AppImage, recommended
Make the file executable, then launch it.
Linux x64 / ARM64
.deb
Your distribution must provide Qt 6.8+ and SDL3. Use the AppImage on stock Ubuntu 24.04.
macOS Apple Silicon, macOS 13+
.dmg, nightlies
Open the DMG and drag OpenNOW into Applications. Intel Macs are not included.
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
1.0.0 candidate workflow currently builds Windows and Linux only; see the
release-candidate guide. The separate
OpenNOW-Mac project is also available.
Other platforms
These projects are separate from the Qt desktop app.
Get OpenNOW-Switch
for a modded Nintendo Switch. It runs as native Horizon OS homebrew.
Inside the client
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.
Desktop library
Controller-first console layout
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.
How it works
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.
Build from source
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.
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
Contributing
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.
OpenNOW 是社区打造的开源 GeForce NOW 云游戏桌面客户端。它用 Qt Quick 做界面，用原生 Rust 引擎处理账号服务和串流。