Google Stadia is Google’s cloud streaming gaming platform that released at the end of 2019. It promises smooth gameplay for dozens of games including popular titles like Destiny 2, DOOM Eternal, Borderlands 3, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Mortal Kombat 11 to name a few. Well, the free version of Stadia isn’t out yet, and it won’t give you free games at all, it’ll just let you buy games for Stadia along with other limitations. However, Stadia Pro is available for $9.99 a month with access to certain titles in the library including Destiny 2. This Pro version is currently available for free.
Google has decided that until the end of today, people can sign up for a 2-month trial of Stadia Pro. You can opt out at any time, so be sure to set reminders unless you love the system, in which case, good for you. I know a lot of people have been curious as to how good Stadia is, and this is the perfect time to give it a chance. All you need is a Chrome browser or the Stadia app (available on Android and iOS) and you’re good to go.
I will say, I tried it a little this morning, and it was flawless. I was running through Destiny 2 with no problems. Load times were nonexistent, and the game looked great. One real quick thing to note though is that Google is going to be reducing the default screen resolution from 4K to 1080p temporarily in order to accommodate what they anticipate to be a much higher player base.
With increased demand due to more people at home during this time, we’re taking a responsible approach to internet traffic. For Stadia, we’ve always adjusted bandwidth use based on a variety of in-home and local internet factors. To reduce load on the internet further, we’re working toward a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p. The vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won’t notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your data usage options in the Stadia app.
Will you be trying out Stadia?