At GDC 2019, Google shocked the gaming industry with the reveal of its Stadia game streaming service. Promising to deliver triple-A games to anyone with at least a 25mbps Internet connection regardless of hardware, Stadia could very well change the gaming industry as we know it.
For those wondering what Google Stadia is all about, we’ve collected all the known information about the project here.
Google Stadia Price
Google Stadia impressed many who watched the GDC 2019 presentation, but Google has failed to address one key area about the platform: how much it will cost. At the time of this writing, we still don’t know how much Google Stadia will cost. However, based on currently-available game streaming services, it seems like a safe bet that Google Stadia will cost at least $10-$20 per month.
Of course, there’s the possibility of tiered subscriptions and the chance players will be able to simply buy specific games outright instead of signing up for the subscription, but all of that has yet to be clarified. More information on Google Stadia’s price should become available as we get closer to its release date.
Google Stadia Release Date
Speaking of the Stadia release date, that is another area that Google has been vague about. While a specific release date is currently unavailable, we know that Google is hoping to launch Stadia in the Americas and most of Europe by the end of 2019, with more regions presumably to follow in 2020 and beyond.
Even when Stadia does launch, though, it’s worth pointing out that the service may not be available to everyone right off the bat. Again, Google has been vague, but it sounds like those closer to its data centers will have access to the service first, whereas those in more remote areas may have to wait a bit after launch. This could be do to some Stadia latency concerns or other factors, but just like with the Stadia price, fans can expect Google to reveal more information when we get closer to its release date.
Google Stadia Games
One area where Google has actually offered some solid answers is in regards to Stadia’s games. At the GDC 2019 keynote presentation, Google announced three games that will be coming to Stadia, including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and the upcoming Doom Eternal. Additionally, an untitled game from PixelJunk studio Q-Games is also in the works for Stadia.
Third-party releases will no doubt be important for Google Stadia, but Google knows it needs high-quality exclusive games if it hopes to succeed in the market. As a result, Google has charged former Ubisoft and EA executive Jade Raymond with heading a studio that will focus on first-party exclusive games for the Stadia.
To date, none of those exclusive games have been announced, but more information is expected to come in the summer. In fact, Google said that the Stadia launch lineup will be confirmed this summer, so those interested in Google’s ambitious new game streaming service should only have to wait a few more months to find out more.
Google Stadia Controller
Google has promised that Stadia will be compatible with a variety of controllers, and specifically showed the Xbox One controller during its GDC 2019 keynote presentation. However, Stadia will also have its own specific controller, which looks somewhat like a cross between the Xbox One controller and the DualShock 4. How the Stadia controller feels and operates compared to the competition remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to see what consumers think once it’s finally available to the masses.
Google Stadia Power
While latency is a concern, it seems that the reception to Google Stadia since its announcement has been generally positive. Stadia has managed to generate quite a bit of buzz, especially thanks to its stage presentation where the ability to immediately switch between different devices was shown off and seemed to work flawlessly.
Being able to pull off something like that, on top of promising 4k resolutions and 60 frames per second gameplay, would require Google Stadia to offer some serious power. And as it turns out, Stadia is effectively a next-generation gaming experience, more powerful than the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X combined. So far, none of the demoed games have really been able to show off Stadia’s power, but perhaps some of the first-party exclusives will take full advantage of the platform.
Google Stadia will launch in 2019.
