Google Stadia release date 15 October 2019. Google Stadia release date in USA, India, UK, Europe Google enters the world of video games with Stadia, the platform to play in streaming. Here’s how it works and when it’s scheduled to be released in US, UK, Canada, Germany, India.
The 2019 Game Development Conference was one of those to remember for years. Google entered the gaming world with a straight leg and did it completely differently than Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. Google Stadia is not a physical console, but a streaming service that can potentially continue to evolve. We already know that further details on Google Stadia will be announced during the summer, but the Mountain View giant has not limited itself to sharing information during the GDC conference: on the contrary, it has continued to reveal news in the following days and weeks.
Google Stadia Release date with Gaming Specs
Google Stadia release enters the world of video games not through a console, but with a simultaneous streaming platform to play in 4K and HD with many titles. After the official presentation at GDC 2019, the expectation for the official release of the new service is growing, and for the relative prices, with many users intrigued by the new features introduced by Google.
The future of video games is not a console: thus the great G directly challenges the future PS5 and Xbox Two with its own streaming platform: Google aims to become the Netflix of video games and Stadia could really represent a serious opponent for Microsoft and Sony. Let’s look at all the features together.
Google Stadia: here’s how to play in streaming
Google Stadia, previously known by insiders as Google Yeti and Project Stream, will allow streaming games from PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets through a truly innovative platform. A streaming service accessible by anyone at any time that will allow you to play Triple A titles without any download or installation of bulky files and update patches.
The titles to be played on Stadia can be accessed directly from YouTube , which becomes a huge showcase for developers and gaming enthusiasts: just click on the Play button in the game trailer to start playing directly. The titles available within Stadia will support an HDR type resolution that can reach, depending on the available bandwidth, up to 4K with a constant frame rate of 60 fps.
Google Stadia: an exclusive controller for direct streaming
Stadia will be compatible with different controllers, from USB and wireless joypads to classic keyboards and mice. Next to the service, Google has also introduced an exclusive controller specially created by Mountain View to exploit and play at its best on Stadia. The pad, in addition to the classic commands typical of the main platforms, will have two buttons capable of activating unique features: the first will allow you to capture images to share and to start a live streaming of your own game on YouTube , a holy hand for you tubers, the second will activate the Google voice assistant.
Through it you can ask about strategies and game solutions, which will be created for Google directly by the developers of the various titles. As for the connection, the streaming of games should take advantage (according to Google’s intent) of the broadband provided directly by Google’s data centers that will allow direct streaming without consuming data from its own line. The upcoming arrival of 5G will also allow compatible smartphones and tablets to access the service without any hitch.
Google Stadia games, price In USA, UK, CANADA, INDIA
There are several developers who have announced their future collaboration with Stadia and among the most important titles we will have Doom Eternal from Bethesda and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey from Ubisoft. No news yet regarding the price and the costs of the Google service: we do not yet know if the titles to be played individually will be purchased or a monthly subscription on the physics will be provided by what is now applied by the various streaming platforms.
Google has already opened the official Stadia page in US, UK, CANADA, INDIA but the Italian release is still shrouded in mystery. The service will debut in North America, Canada, the United Kingdom and part of Europe already at the end of 2019 . Italy, given the location of the Stadia site in Italian, could find itself in the first wave of release, or slip to the early months of 2020. For the moment it is possible to register by registering your email to the site to receive new updates and news as soon as will be made available by Google.
Google Stadia System requirement specifications
To get started, let’s check what are the technical specifications of the technology behind Google Stadia:
- Customized 2.7 GHz x86 CPU with hyper-threaded, AVX2 SIMD and 9.5 MB L2 + L3 cache
- 16GB of RAM with performance up to 484 GB / s
- Custom AMD GPU, with HBM2 memory and 56 Compute Units capable of offering 10.7 teraflops of computing power (PS4 Pro reaches 4.2, while Xbox One X reaches 6)
- Storage on cloud SSD
- The service runs on Linux and API Vulkan
As you can see, it is not clear if the CPU is Intel or AMD (and none of the parties has issued statements) but the reference to Hyper-Threading implies that it is an Intel solution, as AMD uses the term SMT (Simultaneous Multi- Threading). These specifications, according to the company, should allow Google Stadia to play games up to 4K HDR at 60 FPS . For the future, however, the goal is to reach 8K and 120 FPS.
Multi-GPU rendering
The uniqueness of Google Stadia should in fact also lie in the possibility of developing presupposing access to more than one GPU, unlike what happens with PCs and consoles. Benchmark.ul has produced a technical demo to demonstrate the results of multi-GPU rendering.
Connection requirements
The promises are many, therefore, but how can we take advantage of this service? We will be able to play with Google Stadia via computer, smartphone, tablet and, with the support of Google Chromecast, also via TV . Obviously there will be connection requirements to respect:
- 1080p and 60FPS: 25 megabits per second
- 4K: more than 30 megabits per second
Currently we do not know if Google Stadia will also be available in Italy: the Mountain View company has confirmed its arrival in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe .
The Google Stadia Price
The next question is: how much will Google Stadia cost? For now, no information has been shared about this: Phil Harrison has stated that a decision has already been made, but that nothing will be shared until the summer. It is likely that Google wants to understand the expectations of the public and the interest in the service, so as to know which price range to adopt. The speculations are many , but many imagine a cost in line with Netflix, therefore around 15-16 dollars. It will be like this?
The Google Stadia release date
After the “how” and the “how much”, we now respond to another doubt: the “when”. Google Stadia will be available in 2019 . Since we will have to wait for the summer before having other details, it is possible that the release date is set for the autumn, the most important period for the videogame world. In a few months find out the exact game more precisely.
Google Stadia games
The technology can be top-notch and the price can convince everyone, but all that interests us players is to understand what we can play with Google Stadia , especially if the goal is to focus exclusively on this service. The confirmed titles are:
- DOOM Eternal : id Software took the stage at the GDC, promising that their next title will shoot at 4K HDR and 60 FPS;
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey : it is the game that US users have been able to try with Project Stream, the name with which Google Stadia was known;
- a Q-Games game : we do not know the nature of the Q-Games game (creators of the PixelJunk series), but we know that it will use one of the unique features of Google Stadia, State Share.
Even Tequila Works (RiME, The Sexy Brutale) took the stage of the GDC: while not announcing that it was working on a game for Google Stadia, it took the opportunity to present another unique function, Style Share. It is possible that the Spanish team is also developing something, without being able to talk about it yet. Google says a total of 100 studios are developing titles for Google Stadia.
In addition, Google will have an internal team: Stadia Games and Entertainment . It will be led by Jade Raymond (Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, founder of EA Motive). The purpose of this study will be not only to develop exclusive titles, but also to help third parties bring their games to Google Stadia. Finally, the Unreal Engine, one of the main development engines, already supports Google Stadia. Soon, even Unity and Havok will be compatible.
The opinion of indie developers
The possibility of having access to a large audience, on multiple screens and with much less hardware limitations is certainly of great interest to developers, but the world of indies may not be so impressed by Google Stadia . In a recent interview , the founder of No More Robots said he had doubts about the economic model of this new service, going so far as to say that the risk is that the videogame industry will see a decrease in earnings, as happened in the music field.
The main problem is related to the payment model followed by Google : if the developer earned based on the number of accesses and the number of hours that users spend with their game, the indie titles would be heavily penalized. Moreover, this would lead to the development of many more game as a service, as they are able to entertain the public for months and months, and for tens, if not hundreds, of hours. For now, however, these are just fears: we will see how the issue develops in the future.
The Google stadia controller
But to play, you need an input system. On computer, it will be possible to use mouse and keyboard, as well as the main controllers (it has been confirmed, for example, that it will be possible to use the Xbox Adaptive Controller). Even on mobile we can use controllers compatible with our device. If we prefer to play on TV, using Chromecast Ultra, we will have to equip ourselves with the Stadia Controller , which connects directly to the cloud via WiFi.
Visually very similar to an Xbox or PlayStation controller, the Stadia Controller hides a unique feature: there is a button to activate Google Assistant . The latter can be used to receive in-game aid, created by the developers, or to perform a search that gives us access to a movie that explains how to solve the section in which we find ourselves. The advantage is that all this can be done without leaving the game or having to take advantage of a second screen. Furthermore, a second button will allow us to share our gaming session directly on YouTube.
The unique features of Google Stadia
During the GDC 2019 evening, Google presented a series of unique features that will be available to developers and players. Let’s see together what was shown:
- Style Transfer : allows you to choose an image and apply its style over the game polygons, so as not to have to work on every single detail. Through Machin Learning, developers can then simplify the development of their titles.
- State Share: allows you to share the exact conditions of a game moment, for example, our position, nearby enemies, our health, available weapons, etc. Other players can, therefore, test themselves in an identical situation in which we found ourselves.
- Crowd Play: designed for YouTube content creators, who can invite followers who are following a live show into their game, simply by pressing a button.
