Published 15:06 IST, November 9th 2019
Google Stadia arrives on Play Store ahead of Nov 19 launch
Google’s highly ambitious Stadia game streaming service will launch on November 19 in 14 countries (India will have to wait, for now).
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Google’s highly ambitious Stadia game streaming service will launch on November 19 in 14 countries (India will have to wait, for now). Ahead of launch, Google has made the Google Stadia app available for compatible Android devices on the Play Store. The Google Stadia app is now available for download and install via the Play Store for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
Google will initially be offering two kinds of subscription models - Stadia Pro and Stadia Founder’s Edition. While the Stadia Pro will cost about $10 a month, Stadia Founder’s Edition will pack three months of Stadia Pro plus a hardware starter kit that will include a Chromecast Ultra and a limited-edition night blue Stadia controller, for $130. Stadia Founder’s Edition will also give subscribers access to Bungie’s Destiny 2: The Collection with cross-save functionality, an exclusive Stadia name, and a buddy pass that will allow a friend to access the whole thing at no extra cost.
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Access to the Google Stadia app, for now, requires an invite code which would require users to either pre-order the Stadia Founder’s Edition or have a buddy pass from someone who’s done that.
Google is promising console-quality gaming (4K at 60fps at launch) sans an actual console with Google Stadia. Stadia will require a recommended minimum bandwidth of 10Mbps to stream games at 720p. Google has announced. Speaking of games, Google Stadia is launching with at least 31 games, including Baldur's Gate 3, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Gylt, Get Packed and Tom Clancy's The Division 2.
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Google is also working on a free tier Stadia model, that will be available sometime in 2020 – you’ll need to buy just the games in that case.
Google announced Stadia at its first-ever Game Developers Conference (GDC) keynote event in San Francisco on March 20. The service will leverage Google’s massive infrastructure of data centers – that will in turn be powered by a custom AMD chip capable of churning out 10.7 GPU teraflops. Simply put, Stadia is the most powerful gaming ring in the world, and the future of gaming, if Google’s claims are anything to go by.
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13:45 IST, November 9th 2019