Both major GPU manufacturers have in recent years been pushing their own driver utilities, both as a means of leveraging hardware and aid in tailoring graphics settings to individualised system configurations. NVIDIA began the process with GeForce Experience in 2013, keeping the software in-house much as they've done with other projects in the past and taking advantage of their massive hardware install base. AMD by contrast rely on Raptr, a third-party client, to perform very similar tasks.
GFE and game profile updates now are now often released in tandem with Game Ready Drivers for all the latest triple-A titles, and over time new functionality is being added to really push the limits of bundled feature sets. Once the province of 3rd party applications, tools such as Shadowplay (now GeForce Share) and GameStream have brought internet streaming, Youtube gameplay uploads and living-room gaming to the very entry-level of PC gaming.
GeForce Experience Share, which entered beta last month, added an additional dimension to Shadowplay functionality. Through the use of a convenient overlay, gameplay moments can be immediately shared with the world, either on stream or uploaded directly to Youtube. Basic video clip trimming tools in the form of an Instant Replay feature have been added which bring more flexibility whilst not side-lining the value of more powerful editing software.
One criticism of Shadowplay however has been the relatively sparse streaming options, most notably the lack of 1080p streaming. In the most recent update NVIDIA announced 1080p streaming capability at 60fps, the highest quality setting Twitch currently allows. To ensure that image quality isn't adversely affected the maximum possible upstream bit rate has been increased from 5 Mbps to 9 Mbps, although you'll need a suitably meaty internet connection to support this quality setting.
Gameplay at 1080p60 is considerably smoother and more enjoyable than similar 30fps video, whilst increasing the resolution to 1080p will make broadcast images all the more smoother. If you're planning to use GeForce Share to stream any of the new games this Autumn you should certainly be taking note.
Furthermore NVIDIA have now integrated support for Youtube Live, Youtube's competing streaming service. Selecting between the two is simple, just as we've come to expect from GeForce Experience.
GameStream
Part of the SHIELD complementary tools, GameStream allows you to stream your gameplay from your PC to a SHIELD device and play using peripherals connected to that device. With the advent of the SHIELD Android TV Console this month GameStream moves from a cool ancillary feature to one that is core to the way you can consume games, leveraging the power of your PC to play on a big-screen TV without dealing the hassle.
Due to the new hardware options available to them (esp. HDMI 2.0 output and Maxwell 2's more powerful NVENC) NVIDIA have unlocked a 60fps GameStream option to the SHIELD Console at a full 4K resolution with 5.1 surround audio. Obviously you'll need a particularly powerful system to support rendering at these sorts of resolutions and frame rates, but it should also be noted that the bandwidth requirements are also enormous by comparison to 1080p60. Although specific figures haven't been provided NVIDIA recommends that 4K60 streaming is only performed over a cabled Ethernet connection.
GameStream at 4K resolution and 60fps will be possible with GPUs that support NVIDIA's 3rd Generation NVENC, i.e. 2nd generation Maxwell. In terms of SKUs this means that the 900-series and Titan X are the only ones capable of the feature; older 600 and 700-series cards will continue to operate at the previous limits.
Whilst GameStream to SHIELD devices has become more flexible and powerful NVIDIA have added an additional dimension to the feature that they're calling GameStream Co-op. By utilising similar techniques, GameStream Co-op allows a server to become slave to a remote PC when gaming, allowing a remote viewer control over in-game actions. This could be used to call in a friend for aid in clearing a hurdle in a particular single-player game, or in a home setup to play games in the living room whilst running a louder and more powerful server elsewhere.
