This is going to be a short review on Stadia since it’s on sale for $22
Stadia has come a long way back in 2019 after a bumpy launch and at a time where a service like this wasn’t necessarily unheard of, but to expect it from Google was shocking however may have had some people worried and for good reason. Google will announce something good or niche, and never talk about it again. until they kill it and then piss everyone off. and this is no exception.
Google Stadia works… SHOCKINGLY Good. Games are smooth, and they run well. if you pay $10 you have the option of streaming at 4K, having support for 5.1 surround sound, and getting free games every month which is great. however there are some caveats to note. and I will list them as a pro and cons list.
PROS
- Easy access to a reasonable library size but it’s still small. it’s been 2 years since launch and there is only about 250 games. mostly indie and some triple A games (Some new, and Some old
- At a time where PC gaming has gone into the shitter cause of Cryptocurrency mining and chip shortage so building a PC gaming computer costs an arm and a leg something like this would be perfect.
- If you subscribe to Stadia Pro you get a lot of extra discounts, free games, access to 4K Streaming and 5.1 surround sound support. if your TV has it.
- Google is having a promotion on top of the Stadia sale. the Stadia Premier Edition is $22 dollars. and if you buy a game above $30 they will send you another stadia free of charge (which is a pro and a con)
- the games list continues to grow but at a slow rate. Far Cry 6 was recently added and there are some triple A games coming, but very late.
CONS
- Stadia’s future: is one that would make most skeptical. it’s been 2 years and Google doesn’t really promote the service or say much about it. however they do continue to update it and add games. and developers (seem to be on board) not all of them.
- The Controller: The controller is Wi-Fi enabled and Bluetooth Supported however only to Google’s equipment. if Stadia were to die, you can salvage the controller for PC Games. but only at the expense of a wired connection. NOT wireless.
- The Games: they seem to give you free of charge or Sales they seem to put up are for games, no one seems to have heard of, old games, or just games that no one seems to care about. and the sales don’t compare to Steam Sales in the slightest. I personally enjoy Zombie Army 4 which is on sale currently on steam for $20. on Stadia it’s still full price which begs the question what is the point?
- PROMOTIONS:
Google is basically give you all this shit for free which begs the question why? Stadia is $20, the games are on sale, and if you spend $30 you get another stadia free (I believe the promotion ends in a week or so) there doesn’t seem to be a turn-around for something like this anytime soon. so why?
- The Mobile App doesn’t necessarily work on iOS to stream games. you can use stadia on iOS but you have to create a web-app which is un-acceptable 2 years down the line.
Conclusion
is it worth it?
At this time where PC gaming is basically impossible to invest in because of price gouging something like this is wonderful. $20 just to game and you need no real equipment. if you are a console gamer there’s legitimately no point in buying this. Xbox has their Service and so does Sony. if you PC game. it might be something to consider only because Steam Link streaming is still Semi-Bad and not all that optimized. and you need to either have an Android TV or a Steam Link (which Valve has basically killed at this point)
If you buy and treat this as a secondary device and don’t invest on this too much it’s worth it. Google is basically handing you hundreds of dollars worth of hardware for about $20-$30 and if that’s if you buy a game here and there. because you can use this on a phone, TV (warranting your TV has chromecast built in, if not you do get a free Chromecast Ultra out of the box with the controller which is also $50 separately mind you), cheap laptop and or tablet. in short all you need a screen and a google account and you can game.
