Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now coming to LG TVs

The South Korean multinational electronics company LG Electronics Inc has announced the up-gradation of its 2021 TV models in a way to make it bigger, slimmer and brighter along with support for Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce cloud gaming services.

According to Tech Crunch, LG doesn't use Android TV for the operating system. Instead, the company has its own operating system called WebOS. App developers have to release specific versions of their apps for LG's smart TVs. And the company announced that Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are coming to LG 2021 TVs.

Google's cloud gaming service will arrive first in the coming months. It won't be available everywhere as Stadia are only available in a handful of countries. But in a country where Stadia is available, one will be able to unplug its Chromecast to access Stadia.

Stadia works a bit like a console that runs in the cloud. Buying games and running them in a data centre nearby will make the video feed to stream directly to the screen and the gamepad controls (relaying to the server).

As for Nvidia's cloud gaming service, it is coming later this year. This service is a bit different as one can take advantage of the Steam, Epic Games, GOG or Ubisoft Connect libraries.

Nvidia has favoured its own set-top box in the past with a GeForce Now app on the Nvidia Shield TV. Recently, the Android app has been updated with support for more devices, and it looks like it's expanding beyond Android TV with webOS support.

In an official announcement reported by Tech Crunch, LG has also announced that it is updating webOS with a brand new interface this year. The overlay menu at the bottom of the screen has been replaced with a full-screen menu. Users will be able to find their favourite apps, access live TV and get some content recommendations.

For playing games, there will be a new game menu to access the most relevant settings. For instance, the user will be able to switch from one TV profile to another from that menu depending on the type of games to play (FPS, racing games, etc.). User will also be able to turn on G-Sync and FreeSync with the use of a compatible device.

When it comes to new OLED TVs, there are the entry-line A1 models with old processors, the C1 models with support for modern game consoles. At the top of the lineup, the G1 models will come in three different sizes (77 inches, 65 inches and 55 inches).