Cloud games: Google Stadia service announces pricing for users
Google Inc. announced its new Google Stadia service in March this year. Stadia is a cloud for gamers that allows you to play modern games on old PCs. Processing of game data is carried out on a remote server, and a gamer receives only a video stream. Actually, this is far from a novelty, the news is that Google has created a new service.
For several months, the company did not say anything about the cost of the service, it could only be assumed that a subscription would cost several tens of dollars - the usual price offered by other services. But no, the reality was slightly different. Google has both a subscription and a fix .
The user will have to pay $ 129.99 one-time, for the initial package, which can be ordered now, and then pay $ 9.99 monthly. In fairness, I must say that the first payment is not just for "air", the package includes:
- Stadia controller, "limited-edition night blue";
- Chromecast Ultra
- Three months of Stadia Pro service and another three months of “buddy pass”, i.e. the opportunity to share joy with a friend;
- The opportunity to stake out the "Stadia Name".
The ten dollars announced above will have to be paid after three free months have passed on the Stadia Pro. For this money, a gamer gets access to a high-resolution video stream, up to 4K / 60 fps with HDR. Soundtrack - 5.1 (of course, this can only be appreciated if there is an appropriate audio system).
Starting from 2020, the service will be available without initial investments, but without all the chips that were announced above. Apparently, the company relies on the fact that game lovers will try to pre-order and get priority over gamers who will come to their senses only next year.
Here is a comparison of what a gamer can get now and what next year. True, in 2020, not the Pro package will be available, but the Base.
As indicated in the table, Pro service subscribers will receive a lot of additional content compared to regular package subscribers. These are discounts on purchases of additional games, free games on a regular basis. The first one is the Destiny 2 game, which will be available for Pro subscribers at the very beginning. All add-ons for this game will be free, and the content can be transferred from the PC and Xbox versions (the possibility of transferring PS4 content is still being discussed with Sony). Additional chips will remain available to the player as long as he pays a monthly subscription.
Next year, Google plans to launch a free version of its service, called Stadia Base. There are no additional features there, and the video stream will be limited to 1080p and 60 fps.
Google has already agreed with 21 publishers to add 31 games to the service base. They will be available at the start. Here is a complete list of what subscribers will receive:
- Bandai Namco: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
- Bethesda: Doom Eternal +, Doom (2016), Rage 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood +
- Bungie: destiny 2
- Capcom *
- Coatsink: Get Packed +
- Codemasters: GRID
- Deep Silver: Metro Exodus
- Drool: thumper
- Electronic Arts *
- Giants Software: Farming Simulator 19
- Larian Studios: Baldur's Gate III +
- nWay Games: Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- Rockstar *
- Sega: Football Manager
- SNK: Samurai Shodown +
- Square Enix: Final Fantasy XV, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- 2K: NBA 2K, Borderlands 3+
- Tequila Works: Gylt +
- Warner Bros: Mortal Kombat 11
- THQ: Darksiders: Genesis +
- Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Just Dance, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint +, Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Trials Rising, The Crew 2
Unfortunately, the corporation did not announce the cost of additional games that the player may want to purchase individually. True, during the announcement it was mentioned that the price will not be set by Google, but by the publisher with whom the corporation cooperates. “We are working on this issue in order to make prices attractive to players, plus adding those titles that most of them see on other platforms,” Google said.
Over time, Google promises to add free games for subscribers. Unfortunately, the company has not announced many technical details, but it is stated that everything works as it should, there will be no unpleasant surprises. The financial side of collaboration between Google and publishers has not yet been disclosed.
As for recommendations for players, the company advises connecting via a channel with a speed of at least 10 Mbit / s, and better, higher. Such a connection will be enough for pictures with 720p and 60 fps quality. Pro users are advised to connect at a speed of at least 35 Mbps to receive 4K pictures.
As for hardware platforms, Stadia is compatible with all laptops, desktop PCs and tablets. But smartphones are only supported by Pixel 3 and 3a - but this is at startup, in the future, it is possible to add additional models.
If there is a Chromecast Ultra connected to the TV, then it will be possible to play if the Stadia proprietary controller is purchased. Additional controllers will cost subscribers $ 69 in the United States.