Here Is Everything You Need To Know About Google Stadia

Google has recently announced more details on its Stadia game streaming service, forming a clearer idea of what to expect. Now we know the price, the games we can play, and the exact launching time of the service.

So here is a recap of what you need to know. You may expect Stadia to be out in November in 14 different countries; however, India is not among them. We will have a minimum of 31 titles coming from 21 publishers. The “Founder’s Edition” hardware starter kit with the benefit of premium service for three months costs $130. After that, the monthly fee is $10.

Stadia Is Not Exactly The ‘Netflix Of Games’

You may have heard rumors that Google Stadia will be Netflix of Games, but in reality, things are a little different than that. Google has the intention to add a list of free games for users but Stadia is not a subscription service in nature. For now, Destiny 2 is the only title belonging to the subscription service. What you have to do to stream game is to buy them, not rent, as you do on platforms like Xbox Live, Steam, and PlayStation Network.

Google said that more titles would come along later and their names would be announced in the upcoming E3 and when the November launch draws near. It seems like lots of big players in the gaming industry have found the idea of Google Stadia interesting; some of them are Wolfenstein, Doom, Darksiders, Ghost Recon, and Borderlands.

According to Buser, Baldur’s Gate 3 will be on both PC and Google Stadia, making them the only platforms players can go to get access to the game.

Google has not yet announced any in-house-made title just for Stadia, and no one knows for sure how the service is going to perform in reality. This is why Google offers a “Stadia Founder’s Edition” before it develops more. At a price less than what you have to pay for an Xbox One or PS4, Google has made its own console: an eye-catching controller and a Chromecast Ultra to connect to your TV.

With the Founder’s Edition, users will have the opportunity to pick their founder username firsthand before anyone else does and three months access to Stadia Pro tier. You and your friends will be able to play with Pixel 3, Pixel 3A, Chrome web browser, and the HID controller.

The Stadia Pro comes with 5.1 surround sound, 4K, 60fps streaming with HDR as long as you have a bandwidth of 35Mbps. Other benefits include access to free catalog as well as exclusive discounts. For the free tier will be launched in 2020 with an offer of 1080p60, stereo sound, and 720p, requiring a bandwidth of 10Mbps.

Destiny 2 will probably be Stadia’s flagship title. The game is the only title that allows you to pick up where you left off on PC and Xbox due to the cross-save function. As long as you keep paying the $10 monthly fee, you will have Destiny 2 free with the Stadia Founder’s Edition.

Google Stadia Launch Regions And Pricing

If you can wait until 2020, there is no reason to pay $130, an addition of $10, or even Google’s hardware. The service will come to more Android phones, even Apple’s products, and Rokus. As confirmed by Google, it wanted Stadia to reach as many users as possible.

There is no need to purchase a phone with a special spec so that you can get access to Stadia, and you do not have to re-pair the device when you switch to another platform either.

Google wanted its gaming service to be everywhere, but it does not mean you can play on the go right away, at least for now.

Google also said that not all of its ambitious announcements from March would be delivered in November. However, you can expect to see the cool feature that lets you click on an ad on YouTube and start playing instantly this time. Ghost Recon will offer the split-screen multiplayer function. Google has not yet said if players can play and stream the game at the same time or invite fans to join.

We will see more game exclusive titles coming to Stadia shortly as well as features on cross-platform games that PC and console are unable to pull off.

The servers of Stadia are strong enough to ley players play games so naturally, Google has to put in more budget to maintain them than what Sony, Microsoft, Steam, and Nintendo do. However, the company did not elaborate on how it managed to do that if it just asks for $60 just like everyone else does.

Google may have to prepare for a fierce competition if it wants to be the market leader in this field. Microsoft said that the upcoming E3 would see it going big with the company’s xCloud server and Xbox console. Sony also announced that it would boost PlayStation Now to the next level this year. Amazon and Verizon are also planning their own cloud-gaming services.

We cannot be sure if Stadia will be any good to us, but there is no doubt that the war to be the leader in cloud gaming has already been going on.