Though information regarding James Bond’s next big screen outing remains elusive, last month saw his very welcome return to video games, with the launch of IO Interactive’s 007: First Light. Introducing a fresh origin story for the world’s most famous secret agent, First Light hands players the alluring opportunity to step into the shoes of a younger, more reckless Bond who’s still earning his license to kill. But while 007’s spycraft may be a little rough around the edges, the game’s visuals honour the franchise’s cinematic heritage, with slick action sequences and stunning vistas rendered in crisp, triple-A detail.

Whereas with previous Bond games, these big, blockbuster moments would come with hefty memory requirements and download times, 007: First Light launched day-one on NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW streaming platform, enabling players who have the game in their libraries to access the same high-end version of the title across multiple devices and locations. Thanks to NVIDIA’s Blackwell-powered cloud infrastructure, this means you don’t need Q-Branch level gadgetry to enjoy gaming on the go; just decent reception and a cloud subscription.

To maximise our playing time and put GeForce NOW’s capabilities to the test, we took a tour of some of the most recognisable Bond filming locations in London with three devices in tow: a laptop, a Steam Deck and a trusty smartphone. Our mission – to successfully advance our campaign in 007: First Light against a series of iconic backdrops, and see whether streaming the game on GeForce NOW’s Ultimate Tier membership could deliver an RTX 5080-class gaming experience throughout.

Image credit: Eurogamer

Location 1: MI6 HQ, Vauxhall Cross

Assigned device: Steam Deck

Our first stop took us to Albert Embankment, where we stood in the shadow of the instantly recognisable SIS Building, aka MI6 HQ. The real-life home of Bond’s employer since the mid-90s, the art deco-inspired complex made its first appearance on screen in Goldeneye (1995), before popping up again in The World Is Not Enough (1999), memorably launching Pierce Brosnan’s 007 into the Thames at the start of an epic speedboat sequence.

The distinctive green and gold facade featured in atmospheric night shots in Die Another Day (2002), ahead of altogether more dramatic scenes in Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), which saw the building survive an RPG attack before being prematurely felled by Blofeld in an explosive demolition.

From Vauxhall Bridge, we were glad to see that the structure remains very much intact IRL, and thankfully, as we took the opportunity to connect to our smartphone’s hotspot and fire up First Light on a Steam Deck, the only thing hovering nearby was a slightly confused tourist. As GeForce NOW operates via the cloud and supports streaming up to 90fps on Steam Deck, the handheld didn’t actually have to do any of the heavy lifting – that work was happening miles away in a data center packing RTX 5080 processing power. According to NVIDIA, this results in smoother performance than previously possible on the device, alongside benefits such as reduced heat output (and consequently, less fan noise) and improved battery efficiency through cloud rendering.

After making some headway with a (mostly) stealthy run through a server room and an airborne getaway, it was time to hit pause and head to the next spot on the map.

Image credit: Eurogamer

Location 2: Charing Cross Station

Assigned device: Laptop

Commuter thoroughfares played host to a tense chase in Skyfall, with Daniel Craig’s Bond pursuing Javier Bardem’s villainous Silva through the bowels of London’s underground network. Possessing neither the confidence nor the government clearance afforded to Bond, we instead opened GeForce NOW on a laptop at Charing Cross, whose disused Jubilee Line tunnels and escalators stood in for bustling Embankment and Temple in the film.

Perched on the platform at around 25m below street level, we were deliberately stacking the odds against ourselves. Cloud gaming in an underground station, powered by a 4G hotspot, is hardly the textbook setup for smooth gameplay. Yet once connected, GeForce NOW performed comfortably, letting us continue our session despite the unconventional location. With only 15 Mbps required for standard 720p/1280p gaming at 60 FPS, even a subterranean tube platform can be a viable gaming venue.

In fact, the tech specs for machines that support GeForce NOW are very likely covered by your everyday laptop. Our Macbook managed just fine, and so will yours if it has macOS version 10.15 or higher and doesn’t date back further than 2009 (and if it is older than that, you’re really due for an upgrade). Windows machines need to be running a 64-bit version of the OS or later, with a dual core x86 or x64 CPU at 2.0GHz or faster. In addition, Windows users just need 4GB of system memory, a GPU that supports DirectX 11 or later, and enough time between trains or meetings to get stuck in.

As passengers came and went, we made solid progress dispatching henchmen, but after a while, we decided to come up for air. It was time to see how cloud gaming would fare on a different kind of screen and in far more cultured surroundings…

Image credit: Eurogamer

Location: Room 34, The National Gallery

Assigned device: Smartphone

While we don’t exactly advocate shunning what are deemed to be some of the nation’s finest artworks in favour of a spot of gaming, if you do find yourself in need of a First Light fix in Room 34 of The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square… you’ll be pleased to know that GeForce NOW has indeed got your back.

Thanks to the synchronised access to libraries, saves, and progression that the service provides, we (discreetly) got Bond up and running on a smartphone in the same spot that Daniel Craig’s 007 met with Ben Whishaw’s youthful Q in Skyfall: in front of Turner's The Fighting Temeraire. Just as the pair’s exchange in the film pointedly acknowledges the value of both tech innovations and well-trusted resources, the pairing of GeForce NOW and a humble phone efficiently saw us through one of the challenges in the game’s TacSim mode. And even though we were playing on the smallest screen in our test, our performance didn’t suffer, since GeForce NOW is designed to preserve consistent premium visual quality across devices.

Having racked up some XP, and potentially raised the suspicions of a security guard, we then left the old masters behind to head to the last location.

Image credit: Eurogamer

Location: Westminster Bridge

Assigned device: Steam Deck

Back out in the open, the unmistakable architecture of the Houses of Parliament provided our final setting for First Light streaming. As well as appearing in George Lazenby’s promotional photos for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) and housing a secret entrance to MI6 in Die Another Day, Westminster Bridge is also the scene of Bond’s final (and fatal) confrontation with Blofeld in the dramatic climax of Spectre.

In honour of those explosive visuals, we cranked up the settings on the Steam Deck and enjoyed some shootouts and cinematics looking over the water. First Light launched with support for DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation via GeForce NOW – and with the Steam Deck in your bag, there's nothing stopping you from taking Bond on the road. A trip to the Bahamas or a convalescent stay on Lake Como, perhaps?

NVIDIA GeForce NOW cloud gaming allows you to declassify your existing library and indulge in a seamless, premium gaming experience without the need to repurchase games, remain tethered to your setup, or invest in additional hardware.

With 4,500+ supported titles, and subscriptions available across three pricepoints, plans start with the free GeForce NOW entry tier, offering standard access to cloud gaming with basic queue priority and baseline performance. For £9.99/month, the Performance subscription tier delivers smoother gameplay, higher resolutions, longer session lengths, and priority access to servers for a more consistent experience across devices.

For the premium GeForce NOW experience, NVIDIA recommends the £19.99/month Ultimate tier for commuters, travellers, and flexible players. It delivers RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, up to 5K at 120fps, DLSS 4 enhancements, and access to NVIDIA’s most powerful cloud rigs and latest innovations without the need for high-end hardware.

Right now, GeForce NOW's Summer Sale offers 35% off any 12-month membership - for a limited time only.

Head to NVIDIA.com to explore the different tiers, choose the level of performance that best suits how you play, and sign up for GeForce NOW.

*Subject to system and internet connection requirements being met. See the NVIDIA website for details.