Future of gaming from Google coming in November; here’s all we know about Stadia
Stadia Pro offers 4K 60fps HDR with 5.1 sound along with number of games under one subscription. There is also a basic free version of the streaming service called ‘Stadia Base’
The idea behind cloud gaming has existed since the year 2010 but it is Google’s Stadia that is all set to reinvent the gaming industry. However, this isn’t the first venture of Google into the gaming world. Last year, Google had announced Project Stream which eventually died a silent death with Google remaining tight-lipped about its future plans. However, at 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC), Google finally announced a streaming gaming service, Stadia.
Google at its ‘Stadia Connect’ event revealed the launch date and pricing details of its streaming platform. For starters, the gaming service will be out in November and priced at $9.99 a month for the Stadia Pro service. The Stadia Pro offers 4K 60fps HDR with 5.1 sound along with number of games under one subscription. Currently Destiny 2 is the only game that comes with the subscription. Google plans to add more games to Stadia Pro subscription plan in the future. There is a basic free version of the streaming service called ‘Stadia Base’ and it will allow the user to buy games separately and play them at 1080p resolution.
Requirements
The minimum speed required to stream Stadia content in 4K resolution with 5.1 surround sound gaming is 35 mbps download. For gaming in 720P resolution with surround sound, the required download speed is 10 mbps. Google is also planning to support 8k gaming support in future. For now, Stadia doesn’t support wireless cellular connections and requires Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connections.
Features
Stadia include built-in Google Assistant support and a Capture button for saving and capturing gaming experience to YouTube. Also, while playing, if the bandwidth fluctuates while playing, Stadia adjusts to deliver the best possible visual quality at all times.
Where to play
At launch, Stadia will support Pixel 3 and 3a (3a, 3a XL, 3, 3XL) phones for mobile gameplay. Stadia will also run in Chrome browser and on a TV connected to a Chromecast Ultra streaming device. Meanwhile, managing content and purchasing games can be done via both Android (M+) and iOS (11+) devices.
Availability
Google will launch Stadia in November in 14 countries including US, Canada, the UK, and 11 other countries in Europe. Initially, only Stadia Pro will be made available to the gamers.
