Stadia Pro celebrates its anniversary: get to know the service
Google celebrates this Thursday (19/11) the first anniversary of Stadia Pro, its paid game streaming service. Advertised as an alternative to consoles and PCs, the platform has received Special attention of the company in the search for new subscribers to the service.
Even with the distrust of part of the gaming community, praise is growing among those who have tested the platform, making Google Stadia Pro an interesting product for those who want to play the main titles of the moment without spending a lot.
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the titles that will be optimized for Stadia Pro. Disclosure: CD Projekt Red
play anywhere
Stadia Pro arrived on the market American in 2020 with the promise that it would guarantee the same experience as the main consoles of the generation, giving users the advantage of not needing to invest in hardware to play. All title processing is done in real time and distributed through the internet connection.
According to Google, you only need a stable 10 Mbps connection to enjoy games in Full HD quality at 60 FPS. For 1080p titles, with 60 FPS and 5.1 Surround audio, a 20 Mbps connection, while 4k titles would run at 60 FPS from a 35 Mbps connection.
Similar to other Google services such as YouTube, Stadia subscription is free. By registering, the user will have access to a limited catalog of games, with a maximum resolution of 1080p. In addition, it is also possible to purchase games separately for a price similar to that applied on other platforms, ranging from US$ 30 to US$ 60.
The platform works on computers via the Google Chrome browser and on televisions via Chromecast Ultra. In the case of smartphones, an app must be downloaded. Although it supports generic joysticks, keyboards and mice, Google has also released a joystick called the Stadia Controller that can be found abroad for US$70.
Stadia Controller is sold separately for $70. Disclosure: Google
The advantages of being Pro
However, Stadia's biggest advantage is its Pro subscription. For just $9,99 a month, players will have access to a catalog of over 120 games, including Triple A releases. Google also offers a subscription plan called Stadia Premiere, which gives users a kit with a Chromecast Ultra, a Stadia controller, and a Stadia Pro subscription for $130.
Major titles from the last generation such as Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Red Dead Redemption 2 are included in this package. In addition, Google has already announced that its goal is for the service to accompany the major releases of the ninth generation. Titles that are eagerly awaited include: Cyberpunk 2077 are also confirmed for Stadia. Google still intends to maintain an average of four major new releases per month, in addition to investing in smaller titles and independent producers.
the competition
Despite this, the initiative to stream games is not exclusive to Google Stadia – other companies such as Sony, Microsoft and Steam already offer similar services, so the difference in opting for a Stadia Pro subscription is the price.
The price is lower than its main competitor, Microsoft's Xcloud, a service linked to Xbox Game Pass, which costs $15,99. And even though Sony users also pay $9,99 for a PlayStation Now subscription, the quality of the service is much lower than that offered by Google and Microsoft's platforms.
The savings are even greater when you consider that Stadia Pro eliminates the cost of hardware. While an Xcloud user will spend at least $200 on the most basic Xbox model, a Stadia subscriber doesn't even need a controller to enjoy games. They can even emulate the joystick on their Android device, or plug a keyboard and mouse into the device they're streaming from.
Stadia still looks like a great option for owners Macs, being able to enjoy several titles that are not available for your operating system using only Google Chrome.
Really works?
Since it is a cloud-based product, the biggest obstacle for Google to consolidate Stadia as a global service is the quality of the internet in each country. Currently, only 14 countries support the technology and there is no forecast for its arrival in Brazil. According to the experience reported by users, a good experience on Stadia does not depend so much on speed, but rather on the stability of your connection.
On YouTube, you can find several reports saying that heavier titles, such as Doom Eternal and Red Dead Redemption 2, suffered from frame rate losses and gameplay slowdowns. However, other titles such as Shadow of The Tomb Raider achieved 60 FPS performance at 4k without any problems.
In addition to the variability in the connection, another justification for the difference in performance would be the optimization of the titles, considering that many of these games were designed specifically for platforms such as PS4 and Xbox, and were later ported to Stadia. In this case, the tendency is that over time the developers themselves will start to pay more attention to the platform, optimizing the player experience.
This may even be the case for Cyberpunk 2077, a CD Projekt Red title that recently had its release date changed with the justification that the developers were optimizing the game's compatibility with nine platforms, including Stadia.
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the titles that will be optimized for Stadia Pro. Disclosure: CD Projekt Red
Stable connection is essential
An unstable connection can also be a problem for those who often play competitive matches. Likewise, online games that require a longer processing time from machines.
Even though Google claims that the platform has a virtually instantaneous response time, in this case, computers and consoles have a huge advantage. While a video game processes much of the game's gameplay locally, the transmission made by Stadia will be overloaded by sending information about the game's processing, in addition to the interactions made in an online match. In other words, Stadia will work twice as hard.
However, this isn't a problem for casual gamers. The low cost and convenience make a Google Stadia Pro subscription a good option for casual gamers. These are those who don't care about frame rates or high performance, and are just looking for fun.
When will the service arrive in Brazil?
Although it is not just our problem, internet quality is the main barrier to the arrival of Stadia Pro in Brazil. According to a survey conducted by Netflix, our country has the ninth worst connection in the world with average speed of 2,57 Mbps, a rate well below the 10 Mbps required for Stadia.
Google works on alternatives to change this reality. In addition, this week, Microsoft also started Xcloud activities in the country, showing that there is a chance of having others of these services coming soon.
Comparison video of Read Dead Redemption 2 running on a PC, a PS4 and on Stadia.
