Stadia Google's Cloud Based Gaming Service

Will Stadia Shake Up Online Gaming?

Stadia is a new cloud based free and subscription streaming game service from Google that hopes to revolutionize the video gaming industry

Video gaming is as popular as ever, and soon Stadia a new major player funded and developed by Google hopes to shake things up forever.

November 2019 Stadia Marks the Beggining of a New Era in Online Gaming

When the word leaked out that Google was developing a new cloud based gaming service called Stadia, there was a mixed response from the gaming community. Many felt it could not compete with the likes of Xbox, PS 4 and even the Nvidia SHIELD. And the bandwidth costs would be too great.

Yet others that did not want to spend a lot of money on gaming hardware were intrigued by the idea of spending a small monthly fee to play the games they love in 4K.

What Exactly Is Google Stadia?

Think of Stadia as the "Netflix of Games." Instead of needing to invest a significant amount of cash in a gaming PC, Xbox, PS4 this is an online gaming server powered by Google. It will host games on remote servers and stream them to a wide range of devices. These include Smart TVs, Phones, Tablets and PCs.

While there are other cloud gaming service this will be different. Because instead of downloading games to your device, they can be purchased and hosted on powerful remote servers. This saves space and resources on your device.

Another way Stadia differs from online gaming services like Playstation Now, and Nvidia GeForce Now is their specially developed controllers which connect wirelessly to the Internet. And by sending gamepad commands directly rather than first to a device, this reduces latency and dramatically improves the online gaming experience.

Play Stadia From a Chrome Web Browser

While Google will offer a Stadia console, it is designed to work directly from a Google Chrome Web Browser. So you can play games from a PC or Mac. And also on Pixle 3 Smartphones which will included a special Stadia app.

While it is also expected to work on iOS devices, there has not yet been anything official confirming this from Google.

Specifications and Bandwidth Requirements

Games must be purchased before they can be streamed on Stadia.

Since this is strictly Internet based gaming it will require a substantial broadband connection to play games in 4K at 60FPS.

Internet Speed Requirements
A minimum of 10 Mbps is required for 720p 60 FPS Stereo, 20 Mbps to play games in 1080p HDR Video 60 FPS 5.1 Surround, and 35 Mbps for 4K HDR Video 60 FPS 5.1 Surround.

Check your Internet connection.

How Much Does It Cost

Users can stream and play for Free in 1080p, or purchase Pro access which offers higher resolution 4K streaming and one free game a month.

Right now Google is offering a Pre Launch Founders Edition Special which gives you three months of Free access to Stadia Pro plus a buddy pass to invite a friend.

This also comes with a Chromecast and an exclusive Night Blue Stadia Controller. This costs $129 and is available in the Google Store. Additional controllers are $69

After the Pro trial is up it will cost $9.99/month. But remember you won't need a pro account and can continue to play Stadia for free in lower resolution once it has launched. And this also uses less bandwidth on your Internet connection.