Coming soon to a Chrome browser near you: Google Stadia, out Nov. 2019.
Folks eager to check out Google's first entry into the world of mainstream gaming finally got some answers on Thursday as Stadia's creators announced tons of launch details — including pricing, locations, confirmed initial games, a surprise subscription bundle with Destiny 2, and bandwidth requirements. Stadia "Founder's Edition" (details below) was also officially made available for pre-order.
The news comes as part of Google's first Stadia Connect livestream session, the biggest press event the fledgling platform has undertaken since announcing its development at the Game Developers Conference in March.
From the world premiere of Baldur’s Gate III to the cost of Stadia's very pretty and (according to Mashable's Ray Wong) totally "OK" controller, here's everything we learned about Google's first stab at gaming dominance ahead of E3 2019.
Stadia's November launch is for "founders" only
As Google VP and General Manager Phil Harrison promised in his keynote at GDC, Stadia will be out this year, but it'll only be available to users willing to cough up $129.99.
Opened up for pre-order during Thursday's Stadia Connect through the Google Store, Stadia Founder's Edition will grant purchasers access to Stadia in Nov. 2019. Stadia Base (aka non-paying) customers shouldn't expect access until sometime in 2020.
The Founder's Edition purchase comes with a limited-edition Night Blue controller, a Chromecast Ultra, a three-month Stadia Pro subscription, and a three-month "Buddy Pass" to give a friend access to Stadia Pro — plus, first dibs on Stadia usernames.
When deciding whether or not that's a "good deal," remember you're paying for a service and not a console. Users can rely on that Chromecast Ultra to check out Stadia on a TV, but the platform will also be available on machines that have Chrome — be it a laptop, desktop, etc. — as well as on mobile via a Stadia app.
At the time of launch, mobile gaming will be exclusive to Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a smartphones. However, Google has promised to quickly expand from there. Notably, users operating Stadia through Chromecast will need the mobile app for controlling the screen output and making Stadia purchases. That app will be available across iPhone, Android, and most other smartphones.
Image: google
Stadia Pro subscriptions will run US$9.99 per month, and be bundled with Destiny 2 at launch
If you're looking to enjoy Stadia gaming with the highest quality image and sound, you'll need Stadia Pro. The subscription service includes streaming with up to 4K HDR image quality and 5.1 surround sound.
Additionally, Stadia Pro will offer subscribers access to free games, discounts on games for purchase, and at the time of launch instant access to Destiny 2. The Destiny 2 bundle will include the base game, all previous add-ons, and access to the newly announced "Shadowkeep" expansion, plus the annual pass.
Excitingly, Stadia's Destiny deal also confirms recent rumors about the game's upcoming cross-save capabilities. Per Google, users migrating from "other platforms (currently PC and Xbox)" will be able to transfer their Guardian to Stadia for continued play. No word yet on PlayStation 4 availability.
Google has yet to confirm which other games will come free as part of a Stadia Pro subscription, but it has released a list of 31 titles that will be, at the very least, available for purchase. More on those below.
Folks who don't want to pay for a Stadia Pro subscription can wait until 2020, and then once available use Stadia Base for on-demand games purchasing. Stadia Base will allow users to buy, play, and keep whichever games they'd like — with full access to the platform's flexible screen benefits, at a limited 1080p image quality with stereo sound.
Stand-alone Stadia controllers will cost US$69.99 a piece
Folks eyeing that stunning "Wasabi"-colored gamepad may be displeased to learn that Stadia's stand-alone controllers will run US$69.99 each.
Generally speaking, the pricing is a bit higher than controllers of a similar caliber — both the Xbox One controller and DualShock 4 controller are typically sold at US$59.99.
However, that Wasabi coloring just can't be beat ... and the "Just Black" and "Clearly White" aren't bad either.
Check out our official review of the Stadia controller here.
Image: google
Stadia will be available in 14 countries (for starters)
We've known Stadia will first arrive in U.S., Canada, and the U.K. since March — but now Google's finally expanding on that vague "most of Europe" promise.
Confirmed Thursday, Stadia will debut in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland in Nov. 2019.
Google has assured users that more regions will be added in 2020, but when and where that will take place has yet to be made public.
Image: Bungie / deep silver / 2k / square enix / ubisoft
31 games are confirmed for the November launch
Google came out swinging with surprise announcements for both Darksiders Genesis and Baldur's Gate III during Thursday's Stadia Connect, but it's the entirety of its catalog that should be exciting users most.
At present, the platform's launch lineup of 31 games is fairly diverse. From the previously announced Doom Eternal to Farming Simulator 19, this initial game line-up shows a wide range of genres from a variety of developers — indicating the ever elusive "Netflix of gaming" title may be within reach for Google.
Here are all of the games Stadia confirmed on Thursday, with asterisks (*) next to its two exclusive releases:
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Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (Ubisoft)
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Baldur’s Gate III (Larian Studios)
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Borderlands 3 (2K)
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Darksiders Genesis (THQ)
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Destiny 2 (Bungie)
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Doom 2016 (Bethesda)
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Doom Eternal (Bethesda)
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Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Bandai Namco)
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Farming Simulator 19 (Giants Software)
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Final Fantasy XV (Square Enix)
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Football Manager (Sega)
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Get Packed (Coatsink) *
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GRID (Codemasters)
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Gylt (Tequila Works) *
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Just Dance (Ubisoft)
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Metro Exodus (Deep Silver)
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Mortal Kombat 11 (Warner Bros)
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NBA 2K (2K)
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Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (nWay Games)
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Rage 2 (Bethesda)
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Rise of the Tomb Raider (Square Enix)
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Samurai Shodown (SNK)
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Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Square Enix)
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The Crew 2 (Ubisoft)
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The Elder Scrolls Online (Bethesda)
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Thumper (Drool)
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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Ubisoft)
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Tom Clancy's The Division 2 (Ubisoft)
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Tomb Raider Definitive Edition (Square Enix)
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Trials Rising (Ubisoft)
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Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Bethesda)
Notably, releases from Capcom, Rockstar Games (take note, Red Dead and GTA fans), and Electronic Arts should also be available at the time of launch. However, per Google, those publishers will "announce content at their discretion." (Keep your fingers crossed for some Stadia surprises at E3.)
Stadia recommends a minimum bandwidth of 10 Mbps for play
As Mashable's Adam Rosenberg detailed in his assessment of Stadia's long-term viability, broadband capabilities are a key hurdle to the platform's success. Based on Thursday's announcement, we now know the numbers high-speed internet subscribers will need for either version of the service.
Currently, Stadia's creators are recommending players use the platform on a connection with a minimum bandwidth of 10 Mbps. To run 4K HDR images, developers suggest running Stadia on a connection with a minimum bandwidth of 35 Mbps.
These requirements may still pose issues for players in certain regions, as well as users contending with household data limits. However, according to Stadia's product team, the platform will scale with each user's connection — going all the way down to 720p60 if required.
All customers will be able to test their connectivity capability through the Google Store before making their final Stadia purchase(s).
Stay tuned for more Stadia and video game coverage from Mashable's E3 team next week.
