Google Stadia Explained
Google's Stadia streaming platform is a major step in a push to change the way video games are played by the end consumer
Google Stadia is a cloud gaming service and represents the search engine colossus’ first foray into the world of video games, however, it may also imply significant growth in this space over the coming years. Here’s a quick explanation on how all this comes together.
What is Google Stadia?
Google’s Stadia streaming platform is a major step in a push to change the way video games are played by the end consumer. The idea is to lessen the end consumer’s dependence on costly hardware like gaming PCs, and consoles, in order to play top tier releases like Assassin’s Creed.
It’s an ambitious project that only requires users to have a Smartphone, laptop, or Google’s Chromecast Ultra in order to indulge in an ever expanding list of high quality releases. However, one must keep in mind that this is a streaming service and thus requires a fast and reliable internet connection to work properly. It is also worth noting that your distance from Google servers will have an impact on the quality of the gaming experience.
How Does It Work?
Stadia works by leveraging Google’s vast network of data cecentr, spread across 200 regions around the globe, to allow users to stream video games. As per Google, the gaming experience delivered by Stadia can happen without lag and with 60fps 4k of visual crispness – with plans to upgrade to 120 fps in futur.
To get this right, Google teamed up with renowned chip maker, AMD, and had them working on GPUs that are tailored to their data centers and meeting the computational demands of high quality cloud based gaming.
To get started on Stadia, you need to access it via the Chrome browser or the mobile app. The next step is getting yourself a Stadia subscription, the premiere edition of $99, while the pro edition goes for $9,99 pm – with a one month free trial if you subscribe via the Stadia main website.
The Good
Naturally, the fact that you can play games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and other major Ubisoft titles on your mobile device or a basic laptop is a major win for Google as it takes on gaming console giants like Sony and Nintendo.
Another advantage is storage space saving and never having to watch a download screen ever again as all games are updated on Google servers. The reduction in hardware costs will also go a long way in the proliferation of gaming.
The Bad
Having to maintain a high speed internet connection in order to play games is not an easy feat in many regions across the world, and thus presents another barrier to entry – one that is mostly out of the end user’s control. Having a supported android device in a region with a weak internet connection will not do Stadia hopefuls any good.
Furthermore, serious gamers who don’t tolerate any form of latency may find that their dedicated PC still works better than streaming off of Stadia.
One other issue for some is the transition away from owning the game on their devices, to the rental agreement style approach of streaming services.
