Google Stadia available in November

Stadia. © Google.

Stadia, Google’s new cloud-based gaming service, will be available as of November, just in time for the Holidays. To be among the first users of the service, you’ll need to pay USD130 up-front to purchase the Founder’s Edition gamepack (already available for pre-order on the Google Store), which includes the Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra and three months of Stadia Pro service. These packs are only available “in limited quantities and for a limited time”. After the first three months, Stadia Pro users will have to pay USD10 per month to maintain their membership. For that price, they will get access to Google’s highest-quality streams, at up to 4K/60fps with high-dynamic range (HDR) and 5.1 surround sound. A free tier, called Stadia Base, topping out at HD 1080p/60fps, will be available sometime in 2020. Google recommends a minimum bandwidth connection quality of 10Mbps. At that base level, users can expect streams of “at least” 720p/60fps. If you must have 4K, you’ll have to have at least a 30-35Mbps connection.

⇨ TechCrunch, “Here’s how Google Stadia performs depending on your internet connection.”

⇨ ArsTechnica, “Google Stadia requires $130 upfront, $10 per month at November launch.”