Next.js 8 introduces support for serverless deployment, allowing developers to split applications into serverless lambdas for improved reliability and scalability. This "pay for what you use" model offers benefits such as distributed points of failure and scale as needed. To test this feature, the author created a Next.js 8 app integrating Hasura GraphQL Engine, with instructions provided to get started. Enabling serverless mode involves adding the serverless build target in next.config.js. Deploying the app to the Now Platform allows for seamless cloud deployment and management of lambdas across regions.