Items tagged with stadia
We’ve had quite a bit of time to assess Google’s Stadia streaming platform, especially after the free tier for the service first launched nearly two months ago (you can read the HotHardware review here). Stadia brings the promise of “up to” 4K/60 game streaming with HDR and 5.1 surround sound supports on laptops, TVs, desktops, and even smartphones. However, some in the industry haven’t been impressed with what Google has brought to the table; at least initially. One such voice is Strauss Zelnick, who serves as the CEO of Take-Two. While there’s no doubt that streaming will indeed be part of gaming’s future, it’s apparent that Zelknick...
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Google Stadia may not be the service we hoped it would be right out of the gate, but perhaps it will get there someday. Inching closer, Google has added a few more games and features to the mix, including Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, a "massive new story expansion, bringing tons of material to both single-player and multiplayer," and a new display option. Starting with the games, Google has made available Jotun: Valhalla Edition available to purchase on Stadia for $14.99, as well as Sundered: Eldritch Edition for $19.99. Both of these are hand-drawn titles by developer and publisher Thunder Lotus Games. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is also available, priced at $39.99 as just the expansion. However,...
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The Google Stadia streaming service is adding four games for that will be available to all "Pro" users to claim and play for free right now. The first of the free games is The Turing Test. It has players unraveling the mysteries surrounding an outpost on the icy moon of Europa. Zombie Army 4: Dead War has players facing an army of zombies that are gearing up for an invasion. This is a co-op game that has the player and up to three friends collaborating to stop the zombies. SteamWorld Heist (image above) is a side-scrolling game about steam-powered robot space pirates that involves bouncing bullets off the environment to destroy enemies. Battle royale shooter PUBG is also available for free...
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With the COVID-19 pandemic pummeling the world’s population hard over the past three months, many have retreated to their homes to conduct business, complete schoolwork, and of course, play video games. So perhaps now is a better time than ever for Google to launch the free tier of its Stadia game streaming service that it has long promised. Google says that it is now opening up the free tier for anyone that signs up at Stadia.com. In addition, everyone will get a two-month trial to Stadia Pro. That even includes current subscribers to Stadia Pro, who will simply see their current subscription extended by two months. According to Phil Harrison, VP and GM of Google Stadia,...
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So far, the Google Stadia game streaming service has been having some growing pains. The biggest problem that most gamers have is that the service has a small game library. For those unfamiliar, Stadia isn't so much a platform or console as it's a digital storefront that allows fans to stream their favorite games over the Internet. Some see the service as trying to be the Netflix of gaming, and Google had such high hopes for the game streaming service when it was announced nearly a year ago in March 2019. Stadia is still very light on games with only 28 titles available, but Google continues to promise that more games are coming to the service. Google says that 120 additional games will...
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When Google launched its Stadia game streaming service, support on Android devices was incredibly limited. Somewhat predictably, the service was initially limited to Google's first-party Pixel smartphones -- devices that it has full control over with respect to both hardware and software. Now, Google is ready to expand support to a wide range of third-party Android phones from popular brands like Samsung, Razer and ASUS (but mostly Samsung). Here's the list of additional devices that will support Stadia starting on February 20th: Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S8 Active Samsung Galaxy Note8 Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy S9+ Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy...
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NVIDIA's GeForce NOW game streaming service is now available for all, meaning that it is no longer relegated to a select few that were accepted in waves as part of the early beta program. With this announcement, anyone can now join in with the service that allows you to bring the power of PC gaming to just about any modern computing platform including Macs, Smart TVs, the SHIELD TV, and Android phones. For those that may have not followed the development of GeForce NOW over the past four and a half years, it allows you to stream games at Full HD resolution at 60+ fps -- even on relatively "underpowered" devices like low-end PCs and smartphones. The primary limiting factor...
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Verizon has announced that it has teamed up with Google to give its Fios Gigabit internet customers the ability to play games on the Google Stadia gaming service. Verizon will offer new Fios Gigabit internet customers Stadia Premiere Edition at no cost starting on January 29th. The Stadia Premier Edition includes a controller, three months of Stadia Pro subscription service, and a Chromecast Ultra. Verizon brags that Fios has "long been" known as the leading internet service for console gaming and streaming content. It says that with the surge in cloud gaming, thanks to Stadia, Fios will serve as the "backbone" for the best cloud gaming services. Google adds that Verizon's commitment to "deliver...
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Google has laid out a roadmap for its nascent Stadia game streaming service, and 2020 is shaping up to be a big one for gamers. Those early adopters that were able to snag a Founder's Edition Bundle have been able to enjoy Stadia for a few months, but here's what you can expect for first quarter of the year: Support for 4K gaming on the Web Add further Assistant functionality when playing on the Web Support additional Android Phones Wireless gameplay on the Web through the Stadia controller If you have a 4K-capable Chromebook, the updated web streaming options will be right up your alley. Those same gamers will be able to take advantage of the new wireless controller support to remain untethered...
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Subscribing to the Stadia Pro tier is supposed to net players several perks, the highlight being the ability to play games at a 4K resolution (3840x2160) at 60 frames per second—it's one of the main selling points for the $9.99 per month subscription fee. Be that as it may, some users have voiced concern that Stadia's 4K gaming experience is not living up to expectations. In the lead up to Stadia launch, Google did plenty of chest puffing, especially in regards to how its cloud gaming service stacks up to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in horsepower. According to Google, Stadia can delivers 10.7 GPU teraflops of performance, which is more than the Xbox One X (6 TFLOPs) and PS4 Pro (4.2...
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Have you been itching to try out Google Stadia? Now may be your chance if you already own a Chromecast Ultra. Google has finally released firmware that offers Stadia support to existing Chromecast Ultra devices. Stadia is Google’s cloud gaming service that was released this past week. Google has boasted that Stadia is compatible with a wide variety of devices and controllers, including PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch controllers. However, this statement is not technically true. Users need a Chromecast Ultra to stream games on a TV. Unfortunately, not any old Chromecast Ultra would do. At launch, consumers needed to purchase the Chromecast Ultra that came with the Stadia Premier or Stadia...
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Maybe in six months or 12 months, Stadia will be the service Google hyped prior to launch. In the early going, though, delayed features and hiccups like missing invite codes have somewhat marred both Stadia and the idea of cloud gaming (to some extent), and the issues keep coming. On top of everything else, some users are now complaining that their Chromecast Ultras are getting really hot, and even shutting down in some cases, when using Stadia. It's not clear how widespread the problem actually is, though over on Reddit, multiple users have complained that their Chromecast Ultra dongles are "overheating" when using the cloud gaming service. "I was in the middle of a fight in Destiny 2 when suddenly...
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Are the console wars transitioning to the cloud? Not so fast—both Microsoft and Sony have already shared a few detail's about each company's next-generation game console (Project Scarlett and PlayStation 5, respectively), and those won't even reach retail for another year. At the same time, however, companies are making plays in cloud gaming, and Amazon might be gearing up to throw its weight into the category as well. The spotlight is on cloud gaming right now because Google just launched its Stadia platform. Stadia is as ambitious as it comes—it's been likened to a Netflix for games, though the comparison is not entirely accurate. Still, the idea of playing games powered by servers...
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After all of the hype and anticipation—and there was plenty of both—Google's cloud gaming Stadia service has arrived, and some early adopters are pretty pissed at what has been delivered versus what was advertised. Part of it boils down to the usual growing pains, especially for a project this ambitious. Still, the annoyances are starting to pile up. One of the big complaints has nothing to do with gameplay or performance, but missing access codes. Some of the people who preordered Stadia—a group referred to as founders, because they purchased the Stadia Founder's Edition—are still without their access codes days after the service launched. "We're aware that some of you...
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Oh, the joys of marketing. Here we are just a day away from the launch of Stadia, Google's highly anticipated cloud gaming service, and we have just learned it will debut with nearly double the number of games from what was original announced. This addresses one of the points of initial criticism, and there's little doubt in my mind that the sudden uptick in day-one titles is a strategic announcement. That's to say, I have a hard time believing there was anything technical behind this announcement, which might have made possible a greater number of games suddenly being available. Not that it matters—when Stadia launches tomorrow, it will have 22 games available to play, 10 more than previously...
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The most flexible controller option for Google's upcoming Stadia cloud gaming service is the company's own Stadia Controller, which is available in Clearly White, Just Black, and Wasabit color options (each one is priced at $69). As Stadia's launch day fast approaches, Google has posted a comprehensive guide on how to use the controller. Google also posted a guide on setting up the Stadia Controller. To do that, you need to have the Stadia app installed on your mobile device. The app uses Location access, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to find and configure the controller, and if any of those are turned off when setting it up, you will be asked to turn them on. How To Set Up Google's Stadia Controller...
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Google's ambitious cloud gaming platform called Stadia is only a few days away from launching to the public, and there are still many questions that have yet to be answered. That said, Google did answer some of them during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit yesterday. One of them was in regards to which controllers will work with Stadia. Following the AMA session, Google updated its support pages to list exactly which controllers will (and will not) work with Stadia. Sony's DualShock 4 is one of them, as is Microsoft's Xbox One controller, both of which support USB and Bluetooth connectivity with Stadia on the desktop and through Pixel devices. Here's a look at the official list... Source:...
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Google Stadia will launch soon, and ahead of that launch, we have the full game lineup that gamers can enjoy. There are 12 titles, and all except one are titles that you can get on other platforms already. The single exclusive game is an indie title called Gylt from developer Tequila Works. The upside is that all 12 of the games will be free to play for all Stadia Pro subscribers, which includes everyone at launch. All other titles that come to the Stadia service will be available for purchase. There are some cool games available for players at launch; the full launch list is below: Assassin's Creed Odyssey Destiny 2: The Collection Gylt Just Dance 2020 Kine Mortal Kombat 11 Red Dead Redemption...
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The Google Stadia game streaming service is launching soon, and ahead of that launch comes some documentation that has turned up on reddit. The documentation includes the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy among other revelations. These documents give some hints at details of the service that were unknown before. Users that visit the documents via Chrome on desktop or mobile are reportedly prompted to install Stadia. The installation of the progressive web app will give users faster access to manage settings or play a Stadia game. That app is assumed to be mostly for desktop PCs since there is already an Android app. The URL for all the documents is listed as Stadia Beta, but that is likely...
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It as seems as Google is getting its ducks in a row in preparation for its Stadia cloud gaming service going live later this month. Ahead of Stadia's launch on November 19, Google has made available a Stadia app for Android in the Play Store. Anyone who owns a compatible handset can head over there right now and download it. Stadia will enable to gamers to play titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Borderlands 3, and Cyberpunk 2077 (to name just a few of the bigger hits arriving on the platform) on desktops and laptops, on Chrome OS devices, and on televisions through a Chromecast Ultra dongle. It can also be played on Pixel 2 and later handsets. In its current form, the Stadia app is listed at...
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Sony is gearing up to launch the PlayStation 5 game console in 2020. Ahead of the launch of the console, a bunch of rumors are flying around about the console and its controller. A new patent has turned up that describes a very odd sounding controller that speculation suggests could be for the PlayStation VR 2 system as well. The patent describes a controller that sounds as if it can control how much of the buttons stick out of the surface without impacting the functionality of the buttons. As with all patents, the wording is odd. The patent states, "Proposed is a controller which can suppress an amount of protrusion of an operation member from an external surface of a chassis while operability...
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Google has been bragging about Stadia for months now, and as the launch nears, new details about the gaming service have surfaced. One fresh bit of information is likely to be disappointing to potential subscribers: Google has announced that at launch, the Stadia controller will only work wirelessly with the Chromecast Ultra. That means you can play with no wires when the Chromecast Ultra is hooked to your TV, but if you want to play on other devices, you will need to connect a cable to the Stadia controller to use it. The Stadia controller is the only first-party hardware that the service offers at this time, and it features Stadia-specific shortcut keys and integrated WiFi. Google has stated...
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