This is NVIDIA’s cloud gaming service, and it’s been working great thus far. Now, players can play Fortnite on their phones using this platform, as Epic Games added touch controls; up until now, you could only play the game using a Bluetooth controller. I tried out these touch controls, and here’s my experience.
First off, you’re not playing the mobile version of the game
Since this is a cloud-based game, Fortnite is rendered on the company’s servers and streamed right to your device. Basically, what you’re seeing on your phone is a video feed of what you’re playing. However, the mobile version of the game is not being streamed to your device; you’re playing the full version. It’s a little off putting at first, to be honest. You’re presented with a screen of small UI elements that are optimized for a mouse cursor, not a finger. Think about opening the desktop version of a website on your phone. Navigating the menus took just a little getting used to for me. One thing to note is that you won’t be able to use your phone’s back button to go back as on this version. Overall, the full-sized interface makes some elements harder to see and interact with on a 6-inch display. It’s not too bad, but it takes some getting used to. Opening menus, accessing the map, and just basic navigation are a bit harder. Things are different when it comes to using the touch controls in battle. The on-screen buttons are reminiscent of any mobile game’s controls. They’re large and really easy to press and it felt just like playing Fortnite Mobile back in the day. Honestly, I forgot that I was playing the cloud-based version of the full game at times.
The touch controls are deeply integrated into the game
When I heard about the touch controls being added to Fortnite on GeForce Now, part of me thought that there would be a digital controller on the screen to navigate the menus and such. That’s not the case, however. Epic Games deeply implemented the touch controls into the game. This means that you can navigate the interface using tap and swipe gestures, just like on mobile. You tap your way through screens, and if there are any scrollable elements, you can swipe to move them. Also, in your locker, you can swipe to rotate objects. This means that Epic Games really dug into the code of this game to make sure the experience is close to the mobile app.
You can adjust the settings for Touch controls, also
Epic didn’t only add in the controls, you can also fine-tune those controls to your liking. In the settings menu, you can go in and adjust just about every aspect of the controls. You can choose from the three firing modes: Auto Fire, Tap Anywhere, and Dedicated Button. Auto Fire is self-explanatory, Tap Anywhere fires the gun if you tap anywhere on the screen, and Dedicated Button only fires the gun if you use the dedicated fire button. Below those options, you can adjust the sensitivity of the controls, and you can really get into the nitty-gritty. There are options to adjust the sensitivity for targeting, using the scope, building, and editing. Players can also adjust the Vertical Sensitivity Multiplier and the Look Acceleration Strength. Players can also use gyroscope controls and fine-tune them. You can adjust the sensitivity, when it activates, acceleration, steadying, etc. You can really dive into these settings and tweak them to your liking.
Final thoughts
Honestly, I was pretty surprised with how well these touch controls were integrated. Epic Games didn’t merely slap a controller overlay onto Fortnite. It really injected the touch controls into the game’s DNA. If you miss playing Fortnite, then I recommend trying out the game on GeForce Now. If you’re a Fortnite Mobile veteran, then there will be a learning curve. You’re not getting the mobile-optimized version, so it’ll be off putting at first. Also, since this is cloud-based, you’ll need to have a strong internet connection to play it. You won’t exactly need gigabit speeds, but it does recommend using a 5GHz connection. I played on a 2.4GHz connection, and I was able to play pretty well, but there were definitely stutters.
