GOOGLE STADIA | The new face of gaming ?

Google's Project STADIA is google's ambitious take on making cloud gaming mainstream. When implemented it will allow users to play video games without the need for expensive hardware at upto 4k resolution at 60 fps. This platform if done right has the potential to change the face of the gaming market for the better. With cloud game streaming seeming to be the next big thing in the video gaming markets here's all you need to know about Google Stadia :

HOW DOES IT WORK ?

Google Stadia is based on cloud game streaming so what essentially happens is that when gaming your inputs on your PC are sent to google's servers which are then processed in game and whatever happens is streamed back right back to you.

Since the whole game is streamed from google's servers based on the inputs you give on your PC, latency plays a huge role here. Latency must be kept to a bare minimum or must be absent without which it would make it a devastating gaming experience. This is a very important issue for cloud based game streaming services and hopefully will be taken care of by google.

To help achieve an enriching gaming experience google will initially prompt you to run a connection test that tests your internet bandwidth, latency between your PC and the server and data loss. Ideally google requires you to have a streaming rate of 15Mbps, latency below 40ms and data loss below 5% to have a good gaming experience.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM ?

Talking about think at hand the XBox One X is currently the most powerful console in the market and has a processing power of almost 6 TFLOPS followed by the PS4 Pro which has about 4.2 TFLOPS. Google so far has promised that Stadia will have a processing power of almost 10.7 teraflops which takes it to the league of the next generation consoles namely the PS5 which is tremendous.

Google has also stated that the Stadia will eventually scale up to 8K at over 120fps with 4K/60fps play being the norm which is far ahead of today's gaming standards.

WHAT CONTROLLERS CAN I USE ?

Google has designed a dedicated controller for Stadia - The Stadia Gamepad which connects directly to Google's cloud and thus helps reduced latency which again is an added advantage. Google has also confirmed that the XBox One controller and the PS4 controller will both be supported. Apart from all these supported controllers you can also play using your traditional keyboard and mouse.

WHAT GAMES CAN I PLAY ON STADIA ?

The following are the games that have been confirmed so far:

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Borderlands 3
• Baldur's Gate 3
• The Crew 2
• Darksiders Genesis
• Destiny 2
• Doom
• Doom Eternal
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Farming Simulator 19
• Final Fantasy 15
• Football Manager
• Get Packed
• GRID
• Gylt
• Just Dance
• Metro Exodus
• Mortal Kombat 11
• NBA 2K
• Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
• Rage 2
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Samurai Showdown
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
• Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
• Thumper
• Trials Rising
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood

WHAT DOES IT WORK ON ?

Google Stadia can run on almost all the assortment of devices present today as long as it has the latest version of chrome browser. It can run on your PC, laptop, TV (Chromecast Ultra - required), and smartphones (Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL supported at the moment).

WHAT WILL IT COST ?

If you want the best gaming experience at 4K/60 fps with 5.1 surround audio then you will have to purchase a Stadia Pro subscription service which will also give you free access to a library of games and discounts on the rest. The subscription will cost you $9.99 per month. This comes out sometime in November 2019.

There is also a Stadia base subscription which is free of cost and will support games at 1080p/60fps with stereo sound. In this case you will have to purchase games separately from Stadia's library of games. This comes out in 2020.

Apart from these there is also a Stadia founders edition which is available for pre-order at Google's website right now. The founders edition comes included with a Stadia limited edition Night Blue controller, a Chromecast ultra, 3 months Stadia Pro subscription ,3 month buddy pass for your buddy to enjoy the service for a bit and a free copy of Destiny 2 with all the available expansion packs. The founders edition costs $129 which seems to be a good deal because the controller and the chromecast ultra themselves cost $70 each.