Google Stadia guide: price, games, controller, features, upcoming services – and is it any good?
- Google has launched its own gaming service, allowing gamers to play games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Final Fantasy XV without a physical console
- Gameplay can be moved across multiple platforms, so players can do things like start a game on their TV, move it to their tablet and finish on their phone
More than 20 console games, including popular titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Final Fantasy XV, can now be played whenever, wherever and however, thanks to a new cloud gaming service from Google.
Launched on Tuesday in 14 countries including North America and Britain, Stadia allows players to stream games to their TV, computer, tablet and even Google Pixel phone, with the games themselves residing on Google’s data servers. (It is not available in Asia for the time being.)
As part of the monthly subscription fee, Stadia also connects players to each other in games that support multiplayer mode.
“This is the beginning of a way we can reach many more customers who can play our games and eventually, with cloud-compute capabilities, [enhance] games,” said Chris Early, vice-president of partnerships and revenue for game company Ubisoft, which has two games on Stadia at launch: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Just Dance 2020. More from the firm are on the way, including Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.
However, experts have pointed out the new service is hindered by a lack of compelling video games and a convoluted pricing scheme.