Stadia by Google: Gaming on the Cloud

Google finally showed off its Stadia gaming platform at the 2019 Game Developers Conference. While there is no pricing or date set for the platform’s launch, the company says it will be coming in 2019. Players will be able to use the Chrome browser to quickly load games on smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and Chromecasts.

From Chrome tab to 4K, 60fps game, in five seconds. No installation. Google promises that Google Stadia’s cloud computing power is the equivalent of a console running at 10.7 GPU terraflops, that’s more than the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X combined. If Google delivers on this promise, then it could be a game-changer.

Rather than needing high-end hardware, Stadia (which was prototyped under the Project Stream moniker) allows you to use whatever computer you have around to play videogames. Google handles all the heavy lifting on its own servers, which can process the latest version of the game at high resolutions and frame rates, encode it into a stream, and deliver the stream to you over the internet.

At launch Google promises Stadia will support desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones – without the need for a hardware box, instead running on Google’s own data center.

 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Google’s big gaming play – a ‘Netflix for gaming’ streaming service that’s a true console competitor, one to rival (and potentially lead) the next generation.
• When is it launching? At some point in 2019, with launch territories including the USA, Canada and UK.
• How much will it cost? That remains to be seen – it’s not yet certain if you’ll need to pay for individual games, or pay for a subscription pass, or a combination of both.