Google Stadia game streaming launching in November with $129 'Founder's Edition' hardware

The "rhythm violence" game "Thumper."

Google on Thursday revealed key details of its upcoming Stadia service, which will let people stream A-list games to the Mac without having to own a high-end console or PC.

The service will launch in November in 14 different regions, among them Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., Google said. People wanting in at that point will have to pay $129 U.S. for a Founder's Edition kit, including a Wi-Fi-connected Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra, and three months of Stadia Pro plus a "Buddy Pass." Beyond that point Pro access will cost $9.99 per month, plus the cost of individual games not included with the subscription. Some games will be cheaper under Pro than they would be on markets like Steam or the Mac App Store.

The only announced bundle title is "Destiny 2," though others are planned, and some should be announced at next week's E3 expo in Los Angeles. Other confirmed Stadia games — bundled or otherwise — will include the likes of "Doom Eternal," "Thumper," "Baldur's Gate 3," "Borderlands 3," and "Mortal Kombat 11."

"Grand Theft Auto" and "Red Dead Redemption" developer Rockstar Games is confirmed as working on Stadia projects, but has yet to make them public.

Stadia Pro guarantees streams up to 4K at 60fps, with HDR and 5.1-channel surround, so long as the gamers have a 35-megabit connection. Google is working on a free version of Stadia with lower bandwidth requirements, but that will launch sometime in 2020 with quality capped at 1080p resolution and stereo sound.

Although a Chromecast Ultra will be required for TVs, gamers will also be able to play on Pixel 3 phones and any desktop or laptop with Google's Chrome browser.

Stadia relies on streamlined Google data center connections instead of local processors or storage. The downside to this is that Stadia games can only ever work online, even purchased ones.

24 Comments

AppleExposed

said about 4 years ago

Did anyone find it odd that Apple included Playstation and Xbox controller support?

What irks me is, Apple Arcade games seem to not take full advantage of Apple processors. Most of them look like games for iPhone 6.
Apple is most likely caught between the balance of quality graphics and supporting the most players possible.

Stadia can be a big competitor since it won't hold back but in 2 years we'll see the same graphical processing in Apples A14 chips BUT Apple won't wanna leave behind owners of old devices.

racerhomie3

said about 4 years ago

This is good news. More competition. I personally care about  Arcade more.

gatorguy

said about 4 years ago

These are the already confirmed titles. Note that there will also be a free version launched next year with lower streaming quality and likely a very limited game set altho no details yet beyond "it's coming".

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Metro Exodus
Samurai Shodown
Rage 2
Final Fantasy XV
Thumper
Dragonball Xenoverse 2
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Just Dance
Wolfenstein Youngblood
Trials Rising
The Elder Scrolls Online
Farming Simulator 19
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
FM
GRID
The Crew 2
Destiny 2: The Collection
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Get Packed
GYLT
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Mortal Kombat 11
Baldur’s Gate III

slurpy

said about 4 years ago

In case it isn't clear to anyone, the monthly subscription fee does NOT cover the games, unlike Apple Arcade. These still need to be purchased at retail pricing. And obviously nothing can be played offline.

gatorguy

said about 4 years ago

slurpy said:

In case it isn't clear to anyone, the monthly subscription fee does NOT cover the games, unlike Apple Arcade. These still need to be purchased at retail pricing. And obviously nothing can be played offline.

I does include a selection of games AFAICT tho it's not detailed which ones. I would think the very latest releases would need to be purchased, altho at a significant discount from the typical Xbox/Playstation new release pricing. I'm thinking this may be set up similar to nVidia's gaming service on the Shield: A good number of older titles for free and the latest releases requiring purchase.

EDIT: Yes you were definitely mistaken Slurpy.
"At a high-level, Google wants to create the Netflix of games with its new subscription service. Google Stadia Pro pricing is $9.99 per month (in the US) for access to a library of older games that includes titles in 4K at 60FPS.
Newer games have to be purchased outright, and will be saved to your library indefinitely and do not require a subscription to play. The first games include Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Destiny 2, The Division 2, and much more"
"Next year, Google will offer a free tier of Stadia that’s capped to 1080p/30FPS resolution. Stadia Base (the name of the free version) will not feature the games library included with the monthly subscription, and lacks “exclusive discounts” when purchasing full titles."
"At launch, Stadia is available on Chromecast-connected TVs, desktop, laptop, and the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a. Next year, Stadia will be available on other Chrome and mobile devices. A 10Mbps download connection and 1Mbps upload is the “recommended minimum” for 720p/60FPS with stereo sound. 1080p requires 20Mbps down, while it jumps to 35Mbps for 4K/60FPS with HDR and 5.1 surround.
This November, Stadia will launch in 14 countries, with “more to come” in 2020: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States."