Google has revealed Stadia. This is possibly the future of gaming and will definitely shake up the console and PC gaming world. Google Stadia, is an upcoming streaming service that lets you play games without the need for a dedicated console or gaming PC.
Stadia Info.
A
Stadia Pro subscription gets you up to 4K Resolution, 5.1 surround sound, free games and exclusive discounts for $9.99 a month.
A free
Stadia Base subscription will let you buy games as and when you want them, but that service won't be available until next year.
In the simplest terms, Google Stadia lets you play modern games on just about any screen you own, with Google's servers handling all the processing power and beaming them to you via the cloud. There are no downloads or installations to worry about; if your device can run a Google Chrome browser, it can handle Google Stadia. When Google Stadia launches, it'll support play on your TV (using a Chromecast Ultra), desktop computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphones starting with the Pixel 3 and 3a models.
If your internet can handle it - and you pony up for the high-end subscription - Google Stadia can stream gameplay at 4K resolution with HDR and 5.1 surround sound at 60fps, all via an internet connection with at least 35 Mbps speed. And even if your internet isn't as fast as that, Google Stadia supports a wide range of internet speeds at the cost of some graphical quality (with 10 Mbps being the recommended minimum speed).
The earliest you can access Google Stadia is November 2019, with no exact date given just yet - but you'll need to buy into the Stadia Founder's Edition (which we'll get to the pricing of in just a second). Google Stadia will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland regions first, with more territories being added in 2020 and beyond. If you don't want to buy a Stadia Founder's Edition, the Stadia Base option will be available sometime in 2020.
Google Stadia is available at different price points, but to play it as early as possible, you'll need to buy the Stadia Founder's Edition for $129 / £119 with the option to pre-order it now. In the Founder's Edition bundle, you'll get a Chromecast Ultra for playing on your TV, a limited-edition Night Blue Stadia Controller, a three-month Stadia Pro subscription, a buddy pass that lets you gift three months of Stadia Pro to a friend, and first dibs on your Stadia Name (so you can snag your preferred handle).
A Stadia Pro subscription, priced at $9.99 / £8.99 per month, is required to stream games at 4K/60fps/HDR with 5.1 surround sound, and grants access to a growing library of games that are free for as long as your Stadia Pro subscription is active. You'll also give discounts on games for purchase, and for a limited time, Stadia Pro will include the complete Destiny 2 experience, with the base game, all previous add-ons, the new Shadowkeep expansion, and the annual pass, with the option to transfer your Guardian from other platforms (PC and Xbox are currently confirmed, while Sony is still dragging its feet on approval).
If you don't want to pay for a Stadia Pro subscription, you can still use Stadia Base, coming in 2020. It's capped at 1080p/60fps with stereo sound, and games must be purchased individually, though they're yours to keep once you buy them. You can play in a Chrome browser on any computer or on your Pixel 3 or 3a phone, with plans to expand Google Stadia to other mobile phones in the future.
The dedicated Stadia controller isn't required to play on Google Stadia, which supports a wide range of controllers as well as a mouse and keyboard setup. But if you want to play Stadia the way Google intended, you can buy a Google Stadia controller for $69 / £59 each. Colors currently on offer include Clearly White, Just Black, Wasabi (the clear front-runner at the moment), or the Night Blue colorway included exclusively in the Founder's Edition.
Stadia controllers use your WiFi to connect directly with whatever game is being streamed from Google's servers, with the classic dual joystick, D-pad, face button, and shoulder button layout most closely resembling the DualShock 4 controller. It also has two additional buttons which let you easily capture footage or activate the Google Assistant. Once you've got a supported controller and a screen to play on, you're all set to use Google Stadia - no console or additional wires required.
Lastly you may wonder what kind of games does the Stadia play? Currently there are many and Google will reveal more in the coming months.
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Seems we have a very heavily internet reliant program being built here. Given Google's poor track record of privacy and what they do with people's data, there's no telling what kind of ethical, legal, and privacy issues the new Stadia service will alarm. There is no telling if they will be a huge success or a massive failure, or somewhere in-between. One thing for certain is this is the start of something new and it will shake up the gaming industry... but I think it will shake up more than that. What stops them at gaming if this same kind of platform can be done with games, movies, and other things we consume? Should be interesting to see what happens.
So what do you think about the Stadia and do you want to sign on to the service or not? This topic will also serve as the main topic for all things Stadia in the future.
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