What you need to know

• Google has finally enabled Bluetooth support for its Stadia controller. 
• The tool has been released allowing owners to use it with other platforms. 
• It arrives on the eve of Google Stadia's shutdown on January 18.

Having promised it last week, Google has at long last delivered probably the most asked-for feature for the Stadia Controller. On the eve of the planned complete shutdown of the Stadia service, the company has released a tool allowing owners of a Stadia Controller to unlock its Bluetooth capabilities. 

What this means is that while Stadia is dying, the hardware attached to it can continue to live a healthy life. The only other Google-branded hardware attached to Stadia is the Chromecast Ultra or the Chromecast with Google TV, and both of these have uses beyond gaming. 

Enabling Bluetooth on the Stadia Controller is done using a tool embedded into the Stadia website.

How to enable Bluetooth mode on Google Stadia Controller

There are a couple of things you need to make sure you have first. Top of the order is a Stadia Controller that has been charged, and a USB-C cable to hook it up to your PC. 

The next is a Chrome browser that's at least version 108. The good news is that as long as it's a Chromium-based browser on that version, you should be fine. For example, I used Brave 108 and it worked fine. 

From there you simply have to plug the controller into your PC and follow the on-screen instructions. Essentially the tool will check for the hardware first, then ask you to follow a few steps, one of which involves a mildly acrobatic button combination. Once it's in the right mode, the tool will then download and install the update. 

You are warned that this is a permanent change. Once it's done there's no going back. So if you want to get a little final Stadia gaming in before the switch off time, do that first. 

The tool also allows you to check whether you already enabled Bluetooth mode, handy I guess if you have multiple of the same color (as I have). The wording suggests the site will be sticking around and presumably you'll follow the same process in the future if there are any further updates needed for the hardware. 

This is only required if you plan to use your controller wirelessly with other devices going forward. Because of how Stadia worked, once the service shuts down there will be no way to play games wire-free without first enabling Bluetooth mode. 

You can continue to use the Stadia controller with a USB-C cable instead if you wish without having to do this first. 

It's also worth noting that you only have until December 31, 2023 to use the tool and unlock your controllers. After that, the last traces of Stadia will be gone forever. 

Supported platforms for the Stadia Controller

According to Google's official documentation, you'll be able to use your Stadia Controller on any of these platforms either wired or with Bluetooth mode enabled. 

• Windows 10 and 11 + Steam
• MacOS 13 + Steam
• ChromeOS
• Android

Alas, even enabling Bluetooth doesn't mean it'll work with the iPhone or iPad. Everyone else is pretty well set. It should also work with the Steam Deck. 

Whether it's one of the best controllers or not, at least the world won't see these things all sent to landfill in one giant dumping of e-waste.  

Haven't you heard? Google Stadia is dead. In news that will likely shock very few of you, Google has killed its nascent game streaming service, a short while after killing practically all of its in-house content creation for the platform previously. 

Despite Google's claims to the contrary, it was probably an easy decision for the firm to off its rarely-used streaming service. With markets as volatile as they are, many larger tech corporations are exploring ways to cut costs, freeze hiring, and ultimately save money. Google Stadia was likely the lowest rung on the ladder to that end, and will free up precious silicon for usage in some of Google's healthier server-based businesses, like YouTube or Google Play. 

As much as I enjoy the schadenfreude of seeing Google fail (my pettiness over them blocking YouTube for Windows Phone will never end), it is a shame for the engineers and creatives who made Stadia a great product overall. And it truly was a great product. For years, it boasted far superior latency and responsiveness when compared to Microsoft's own Xbox Cloud Gaming, although the gap has shrunk in recent years. 

Stadia was doomed to fail from the outset, though, and I think pretty much anyone paying attention might have known it. Google wasn't serious enough about content acquisition, and its insistence on Linux versions of games effectively alienated themselves from the bulk of modern game development. And they didn't have an in-house Windows translation layer like Steam Deck's Proton to fall back on, although there have been some vague rumors that Stadia was working towards something like that. Either way, it seems to have come too late for the service. 

With Stadia exiting stage left, the landscape for this shiny new gaming industry has shifted a bit. The only major players in the space are Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, with Amazon Luna lurking in the distance. 

A good thing for Xbox Cloud Gaming?

It's often frustrating that Microsoft doesn't publicly offer direct numbers on the usage of many of its services, but they have offered hints that its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cloud service is doing pretty well. Earlier this year, the firm committed to bringing games you own into the cloud service beyond the rotating Netflix-like library it offers now. They also confirmed its intent to build a Stadia-like streaming console that you can plug straight into your TV, called Xbox "Keystone." Microsoft also announced its intent to more than double Xbox Cloud Gaming's server capacity to "meet demand." If Xbox's cloud platform wasn't doing so well, I doubt they'd be making those kinds of investments. 

And indeed, speaking of investments, the mammoth Activision-Blizzard deal is almost entirely about investing in content. Games like Diablo IV will be truly massive on Xbox Cloud Gaming, with latency benefitting from the isometric game design, offering a true Diablo experience on mobile devices that are plagued with pay-to-win clones (like Blizzard's own RPG-meets-casino Diablo Immortal). 

Stadia VP Phil Harrison reportedly blamed Xbox's acquisition of Bethesda for Google's ambivalence towards building in-house content, realizing that content acquisition will actually, you know, cost money at some point. "Built it, and they will come" isn't enough in gaming, and Google has sorely learned that the hard way. 

Still, Stadia did have some passionate fans, and for its flaws, cloud gaming does have some great use cases for those times you're not able to use the TV, for whatever reason. Many of those users will now be taking all of their Stadia refund money and perhaps considering an investment in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate instead, which is slated to get a Family Plan in the near term, and mountains of upcoming Xbox exclusive games in the long term. But could the death of Stadia bring with it some regulatory complexities for Microsoft?

A bad thing for Xbox Cloud Gaming?

United States President Joe Biden has been on a tweet spree recently signalling intent to boost competition in the U.S. market. There's no hint at any specific companies being targeted, but the FTC intervened recently to block Facebook from acquiring a VR fitness company, in a move that was seen as quite rare among some legal experts. 

There's a school of thought that this action revolves around the relative nascence of the VR space. In the early days of social media, Facebook was allowed to snap up WhatsApp, Instagram, and other platforms essentially transforming itself into the sole arbiter of social content on the web. Facebook has been blamed for disseminating fake news and disinformation campaigns from hostile governments, leading to various legal challenges over the years. Amazon and Google both have been the targets of criticism, over how they've exploited their dominance in retail and search to stifle competitors. 

Microsoft hasn't been the subject of major regulatory investigations since the browser wars of the late 90s. However, is there a possibility that the death of Stadia could be seen by regulators as decreased competition in a space Microsoft is essentially now poised to dominate?

The UK competitions regulator recently signalled its intent to more closely scrutinize the Activision-Blizzard deal for Microsoft, which is slated to be valued around $70 billion dollars. Sony's PlayStation has decried the deal, saying that giving Microsoft sole control over mega franchises like Call of Duty will hurt its market position. Microsoft typically responds by noting how much smaller it is than PlayStation and Tencent both, even after the Activision-Blizzard deal, while emphasizing its intent to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Still, Sony's own cloud streaming service is a mere footnote in a space increasingly dominated by Xbox and NVIDIA's GeForce Now. 

It's still early days for the cloud streaming space, but one thing is clear: it was the lack of content that killed off Google Stadia. Could its demise be weaponized by Sony, or even NVIDIA? Could they use Stadia as an example over how Microsoft's content exclusivity may harm their own streaming services? I certainly think the slow death of Stadia could become a factor in future regulatory discussions. 

The future is cloudy

The long-term viability of cloud streaming as an alternative to native mobile or native console gaming remains uncertain. Whether its latency issues or ergonomics, basic costs, or competing handheld devices like the Nintendo Switch or Valve Steam Deck, it's certainly interesting watching the twists and turns in this very young industry. 

Facebook's aggressive pursuit of its metaverse white whale is already under the regulatory microscope, but Facebook arguably falls under Joe Biden's very vague "abusive monopoly" reference. I would argue that 2022's Microsoft is far from anything that could be described as abusive. Regardless, the death of Google Stadia may shine a spotlight into the role content control plays in the health and competitiveness of different platforms. 

Microsoft has always said its goal is to bring games like Call of Duty to more platforms, not less, however. And we may get to see that commitment tested in a world where Xbox Cloud Gaming is the only major player left in this very niche, but incredibly promising space. 

What you need to know

• Google may have created a Windows emulator for Linux that will allow more games to be playable on Stadia.
• A session for the upcoming Google for Games Developer Summit will discuss how the company managed to get unmodified Windows games to run on Stadia.
• Google's intention may be to allow developers to get unmodified Windows games to run on its Stadia platform.

Google may soon unveil a way for game developers to get unmodified Windows games running on Stadia. According to details of an upcoming session from the Google for Games Developer Summit, the company will share its technical process for getting Windows games to run on Stadia. This could clear the way for developers to replicate the process.

Convincing developers to port titles to the Linux-based Stadia has proven difficult. As a result, some big-name titles are not available on the streaming service. Any move in the direction of allowing developers to use code from the Windows versions of games could help bolster Google's platform.

Below are the details for the session:

The session will run for 25 minutes and will be led by Marcin Undak from Google Stadia's porting platform team.

The description of the session leaves room for speculation. The line "potentially to build their own" could indicate that Google has figured out a way to run unmodified Windows games on Stadia, but that it will require developers to recreate the process for specific titles. This would likely be easier than porting games to Linux.

Google isn't the first company to get Windows games to run on Linux. Valve's Proton is a compatibility layer that lets the best PC games run on Wine. Proton tech is also used by the Steam Deck.

The Google for Games Developer Summit is on March 15, 2022, so we won't have to wait long to see what Google has in store.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing mouse and keyboard support for its Edge browser on Xbox consoles.
• Mouse and keyboard support works to some effect with Google Stadia.
• It's quicker and easier to navigate the web with a mouse and keyboard than with an Xbox controller.

Microsoft recently began testing the Chromium version of its Edge browser on Xbox consoles such as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The Chromium version of Edge has the same general interface as Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, including tab support. At launch, however, it had some limitations. Most notably, you could not navigate the browser with a mouse and keyboard. That's since changed, as mouse and keyboard support is rolling out to people testing the new Edge on Xbox consoles.

Tom Warren from The Verge spotted Xbox mouse and keyboard support for the Edge browser recently and shared videos of it in action. In his first video, Warren shows how a mouse and keyboard can be used to navigate the web, including writing in a Word document. His second video shows off functionality that gamers are likely more interested in, playing Google Stadia games on an Xbox console.

At this early stage, it doesn't appear that you can change the DPI settings for the mouse within the Edge browser. That makes navigating a game within Stadia awkward, but other than that it appears to work well.

Microsoft's own game streaming service, Xbox Game Streaming, works on the console through the Edge browser, but does not support mouse and keyboard through the web. NVIDIA GeForce now is blocked within Edge for Xbox, according to Warren.

To use the new Edge on an Xbox console, you have to be an Alpha Skip-Ahead tester.

What you need to know

• New Lenovo Legion and IdeaPad gaming PCs will come with three months of Stadia Pro.
• People can redeem the offer through Lenovo Vantage on their Lenovo device.
• Stadia Pro has a growing library of games that you can play on your phone or PC.

Lenovo makes some of the best gaming laptops and best gaming desktops on the market. While these PCs from Lenovo offer impressive local gaming, they can also be used for streaming games. Lenovo has teamed up with Google to provide three free months of Stadia Pro with Lenovo Legion and IdeaPad gaming PCs.

There are over 130 games on Stadia right now, and the service gains games regularly. Stadia Pro allows you to stream at up to 4K with HDR support. It also allows you to purchase games at a discount.

Once a person purchases a new Legion or IdeaPad gaming PC, they can redeem the offer through Lenovo Vantage.

People who like to stream games to PCs have a growing list of services. NVIDIA's GeForce Now has been around for some time, Stadia Pro works on PCs through supported browsers, and Xbox game streaming is on the way to Windows as well.

Google and Microsoft killing products is something we're all used to by now. After Microsoft pushed Mixer off the cliff last year, it's back over to Google to get 2021 off and running. To be clear, Google isn't killing Stadia, but it might as well be doing.

Google is doing what Google does best; giving up on a product that doesn't deliver immediate success. The worst part in all this is the human cost, and the blase way that today's blog post announces the news that a lot people are going to be looking for a new job.

It all stinks. But let's face it, nobody is really surprised, right? We all thought Google would get bored eventually, it's just happening a bit quicker and I'm pretty mad I let myself get into it as much as I have.

What's happening at Stadia?

If you haven't yet seen the news, a quick catch up. Google has announced that it is closing down its internal game studios developing for Stadia. The timing of the announcement is almost comical when you consider it comes the same day as Journey to the Savage Planet finally launched on Stadia. Its maker, Typhoon Studios, was acquired by Google in late 2019.

The head of the division, Jade Raymond, is leaving Google, and Kotaku reports 150 people are going to be in need of a new job. Google casually says in its blog that "most" will be moving on to new roles. You know, corporate speak for we just made them all redundant. All of these people are talented and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I wish them well in finding another role soon. A lot of talented people went to work for Google, hopefully their next employers treat them better.

Stadia as a platform is continuing, apparently, but will no longer be investing in first-party titles. Instead, Google will be relying on third-party publishers, such as Ubisoft and 2K, to fill out its library. Stadia Pro will continue, because Google definitely wants to keep making as much money as it can out of it, and apparently its moving to license the Stadia backend tech to third-parties. It's this last part that is setting the alarm off.

The beginning of the end of another Google product

It doesn't matter how much PR Google spins from this, there is one overarching reaction to this news. Google has a reputation for killing products, there's even a whole website dedicated to it. If the tech behind Stadia is going to be sold off to third-parties, where does the need for Stadia to exist lie? This snippet is the crucial part:

And so most, myself included, would be forgiven for thinking that Google is already starting to lay the groundwork for an out. Making games is a time consuming process, the fact that Stadia is already shutting its first party studios before any ideas are off the storyboard says a lot.

Either the company has absolutely no clue what it's doing in gaming, or it hasn't seen enough immediate success and is getting ready to fill another plot in the Google graveyard.

Even if Google proves us all wrong and Stadia continues to live a long life, the damage is largely done. I never put all my eggs into one company basket, because they're all terrible and could cancel something at a moments notice, but I do enjoy Stadia and I have spent some money on games and Stadia Pro.

Now I'm looking at it wondering why I would want to spend anything when there's a pretty solid chance it won't exist in the future. And if all Stadia players react the same way, and revenue tanks entirely, there's Google's icing on the cake for pulling the plug. I hope I'm wrong, because I've got a lot of games on Stadia I don't have on other platforms, and I'm going to be pretty bummed if they get taken away.

Time for Xbox to accelerate

At the moment, I'd steer anyone serious about cloud gaming towards NVIDIA GeForce Now or Stadia over Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass streaming. Simply put, Microsoft is falling behind. The tech can't compare and it's still officially only available on Android phones and tablets.

Google confirmed in its blog post today that it still sees a future for cloud gaming, not least because it plans to sell the technology it has developed for Stadia. It's hard to argue, at least right now. The technology exists, and using the cloud opens up high quality gaming to the whole planet without the need for specialist consoles or powerful gaming PCs.

The time is now for Microsoft to double-down and accelerate its streaming plans. We need to see the client for Windows and iOS, and above all, the backend overhaul to bring it up to snuff with the competitors. The world in 2021 is not the world any of these services were born into, and there are challenges to overcome, but Google is throwing in a towel that Microsoft can wield to its advantage.

You'll be able to play Halo Infinite from the cloud, future Forza games, whatever comes out of the Bethesda deal, so many amazing first-party titles. But it won't matter without the end experience being as good as it is on the competing platforms. And since Stadia probably has a lot of mobile fans among its user base, Xbox is a natural alternative if they decide to jump to a more stable ship.

12 months ago, I'd admit to being highly skeptical of cloud gaming in general. I didn't see how it was ever going to be as good as just owning a gaming desktop PC or console. Having pretty poor internet speeds by modern standards; I didn't think it would ever be worth it to me.

But what a difference a year makes. Not only has my own opinion completely reversed, but the technology has seen some serious improvements, and even on lower speed networks, it's now possible to play AAA games on a phone or any computer with a connection and have a good time.

Right now, there are three major players: Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and Xbox Game Pass. Amazon Luna will likely become part of the conversation pretty soon, but since it's limited access right now (and not being in the U.S. completely excludes me), that will come later.

But of these three, which is the best? That's harder to answer. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and which serves best for you will depend on what you're looking for. I've played a lot of games on each in the past couple of months, so I'm going to try and break it down and help you decide which might be for you.

Stadia vs GeForce Now vs Xbox Game Pass - Platform availability

The good news is that combined, all three of these cloud gaming platforms are available to play on a wide variety of devices. Here's what we're currently looking at when it comes to official support:

• Google Stadia - Android, iOS, Chrome OS, Windows 10, Mac OS, Chromecast Ultra, Linux
• Xbox Game Pass - Android
• NVIDIA GeForce Now - Android, iOS, Windows 10, Mac OS, Chrome OS, NVIDIA Shield TV

Already we see one big difference between the three. Xbox Game Pass cloud streaming is lagging behind the others in terms of how you can play. Officially it's only currently supported on Android devices, though sideloading to Android TV and Google TV is possible. In the past, it's been pretty solid to use on a Chromebook. However, the latter of these seems to have died in my experience.

NVIDIA and Google have a big advantage already in who can play. Stadia and GeForce Now effectively work everywhere you could want them to. On iOS and Chrome OS, both leverage the web browser's power to deliver games, and it's in the same way we're expecting to see Xbox Game Pass branch out in the future. NVIDIA has desktop apps for PC and Mac, too, with both joining Xbox in having a native Android client.

Additionally, you can also get Stadia and GeForce Now working just fine on Linux thanks to the same browser-based play as on Chrome OS, and the two also have their own ways onto the TV. This is also going to expand later in 2021 as both are going to be pre-loaded on LG TVs. As yet, Microsoft has no official planned support for TV devices when it comes to cloud streaming.

Xbox Game Pass - Huge value and innovative touch controls

Xbox has one clear strength, and that's bundling cloud streaming into the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. This is quite simply one of the best value packages in gaming. While Xbox console owners get the most from it, access to the Game Pass PC library means you don't have to be an Xbox owner.

It's probably not worth signing up just to get access to cloud gaming, and it would be nice to see Microsoft offer a cloud-only subscription in the future, but for now, you simply can't ignore how much you get for a very reasonable monthly fee.

The library is also quite big and getting bigger every month. All of Microsoft's first-party console games are going in there, with titles like Gears 5, Halo MCC, and Forza Horizon 4 all playable on smartphones. The best Xbox Game Pass games alone are enough to blow the mind.

One of the most notable features that sets Game Pass streaming above the others is the innovative touch control system that Xbox is developing for the platform. Instead of a generic on-screen controller, each game gets its own unique layout designed to make playing on a phone or tablet easier and more enjoyable. If you haven't yet tried Minecraft Dungeons touch controls, please do. It's astonishingly good.

Stream stability is good even on my less than stellar broadband, though artifacts in the games are fairly common. Minecraft Dungeons often turns into a mess of even more blocks than you already get. The system is very responsive and supports a decent amount of controllers beyond the official Xbox offering.

NVIDIA GeForce Now - PC gaming for everyone

GeForce Now's big selling point is that you already own the games you're playing on the service. Whether you have a gaming desktop PC or you're just buying them to play on GeForce Now, the games, unlike on Xbox Game Pass, are yours. And not just from one source, either. Steam and Epic both have a big library of supported games, as does Ubisoft Connect, and GOG is now also starting to be seen with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077.

For all intents and purposes, GeForce Now gives you a gaming PC on any machine. You have both controller and full keyboard and mouse support on tap. There's no clue that you're not actually playing on your own gaming PC. GeForce Now also has the ability to be played on the TV, with NVIDIA's own Shield set-top box. Alongside Stadia, it will be coming to select LG TVs later in 2021.

Performance is fantastic, even on slower connections. In particular, on Windows 10 and Mac, you have quite a lot of control over quality settings to get the most from your own connection and hardware. The web client doesn't have as many of these features, but you can still either set it to auto or turn it down yourself. Games load quickly, and when you're inside playing, too.

Games also look better on the whole on GeForce Now compared to the other two, and as you're running PC versions of these games on a proper, powerful PC in the cloud, you get both ray tracing (where supported) and good frame rate, too. Playing through the Destiny 2 on GeForce Now has been virtually indistinguishable from playing it on my gaming PC.

What GeForce Now does is deliver a high-quality PC gaming experience to everyone. You don't need an expensive, ultra-powerful rig or a gaming laptop anymore. All you need is the phone in your pocket or an affordable Windows laptop or Chromebook. That's probably the best thing about it. It's also free to try, but if you're going to use it a lot, you will certainly get the value from the founder's subscription.

Google Stadia - Impressive performance and innovative features

Google Stadia has the least gaming pedigree behind it, in that this is Google's first real attempt at being a gaming platform. Stadia follows a more console-like model in so much as you're actually buying games specifically to play on Stadia-supported devices. It does have a subscription, Stadia Pro, but this is more like Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus in that you're getting free games to play so long as you stay subscribed. It isn't required to play on Stadia, though.

What is certainly true of Stadia is that it has many good ideas and does a lot right. Whichever platform you choose to play on, the performance is excellent. The backend hardware has an incredible amount of power compared to Xbox Game Pass; thus, you get 4K HDR gaming though supported displays (and fast enough connections) and 60 FPS. Controller or keyboard and mouse are fine, and while Google has its own Stadia controller, you only need this if you're playing on the Chromecast Ultra on a TV. An Xbox, PlayStation, or third-party controller will work just fine.

Stream stability and quality are also excellent on Stadia. When I first tried it almost a year ago, I didn't give it much time because it was janky and clearly struggled on my connection. Now, I can happily play at 1080p for hours on end without so much as a hiccup. Whatever Google did, it worked, and right now, I'm playing more games on Stadia than on console. Loading times are minimal, and whether it's my phone, PC, or Surface Go 2, I can be gaming in seconds. Pro-tip; play in Edge on Windows 10, not Chrome. Thank me later.

Stadia also has some exciting features. For one, anybody can stream their gameplay straight to YouTube in high quality with their microphone included with ease. There are also more innovative tools like Stream Connect, which can overlay another person's game on top of yours so you can see their perspective while you play. And the newest is game state sharing, launched with Hitman 3. You can share snippets of your game for other players to jump into and experience first hand.

The not so good bits

Each platform has a lot of good, but each has its own negatives to consider.

Starting with Xbox Game Pass, and the obvious one is performance. It is slow. Because it's currently based on Xbox One S hardware, loading games is slow, loading inside games is slow, frame rates are more likely 30 FPS than anything else, and you're hardly getting 1080p, let alone 4K. Granted, resolution isn't a big issue right now since we're confined to playing on small screens, but the overall performance of Xbox Game Pass streaming is pretty bad compared to the other two. It is due for an upgrade at some point, and that can't come quick enough.

The other big downer is one already touched on, and that's platform availability. Microsoft is dragging its feet compared to both Google and NVIDIA, and I fear that it could get left behind without a big push in 2021.

What about Google Stadia, then? You can't ignore the size of the library. It's got a lot better in recent times, and there are some big titles in there now with support from the likes of Rockstar and Ubisoft, but compared to any other console or even the other cloud platforms, it's still lacking. Google is talking a big game for 2021 and beyond, but only time will tell.

I'd also like to see a little more attention applied to how games look on Stadia. You only really notice when comparing directly to another platform, but Destiny 2 is the best example. The Stadia version looks flat and muted and a bit dull when comparing it to the same game on either Xbox Game Pass or GeForce Now. This isn't going to be the case for all games, but it's something I feel Google needs to work with its developer partners on.

GeForce Now is, in many ways, the strongest of the three. It has the sheer horsepower of NVIDIA's GPUs behind it, it supports ray tracing, has a large and continually growing library, and is available on pretty much everything. But it's not perfect. The biggest downer is the fact that some games on GeForce Now flat out are no bueno for controller play. Disco Elysium and Path of Exile, for example, are straight PC ports and do not support gamepad. That's a bit of a blow for someone playing on a smartphone.

GeForce Now is also messier to live with than the other two platforms. I'm not sure it's something NVIDIA can ever do something about on account of how fragmented PC game delivery is, but it's still a mess, and it's worse on phones. Steam works well since you can link your account natively, but Epic and Ubisoft, for example, don't support this, and you have to log in to their respective launchers inside GeForce Now. Often, you can't just hit play and start playing a game like you can on the others.

So which is best?

Simply put, there is no one best platform right now. There is no single easy recommendation to say, "go and use this one." In fact, the best option right now is to try them all and see which suits you best. Only Xbox Game Pass actually requires payment to try it out, and if you're not already a sub, there's almost always an offer to get the first month for $1.

If you're primarily a PC gamer looking for a way to enjoy games you already own on other devices, GeForce Now is a no brainer. Performance is excellent, the library continues to grow, and the experience is essentially identical to playing natively on your gaming rig.

If you're an Xbox owner, then firstly, you should definitely have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate because the value is immense. And then secondly, assuming you have an Android phone, you need to try game streaming. It's not the best performance you'll see, but the innovative touch controls in games like Minecraft Dungeons make it incredibly accessible to mobile gaming.

So what about Stadia then? Well, it is free to use, and since Destiny 2 is one of a couple of free to play games on Stadia, you can try out what's on offer before committing any money. There's also no requirement for a subscription to keep Stadia rolling; you buy games like you would on an Xbox or PlayStation. The Pro subscription is of great value, though, with a pretty massive library of games you can claim. Stadia is the most console-like of the three, and while I'm not sure it's a definite alternative to Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo right now, it could well be very soon.

But if you can, try each and see which sits best with you.

The beauty of cloud gaming services like Google Stadia is that you're not required to have any specific, potentially expensive hardware to use them. This is 100% accurate with Stadia, which literally requires only a web browser to run on a Windows PC.

Naturally, Google steers you to using its Chrome browser, and any Stadia documentation will do the same. But you don't have to use Chrome, and if you want to check out some games but you prefer to use Microsoft Edge, that's no problem.

There's also one big reason you should think about using Edge instead of Chrome. It seems that on Windows, Stadia might just be best played in Edge over Google's own browser.

Chromium Edge works just fine with Google Stadia

Thanks to being built on Chromium, Microsoft Edge operates with Stadia in the same way as Google Chrome. No trickery is required; you simply load up Stadia and start playing a game.

All of the same options are there, and if you have a 4K display and a Pro subscription, you'll be able to play games at their highest resolution, too.

Using a controller is equally straight forward, even the official Stadia controller should you have one of those, with wireless connectivity a mere four button presses away. Other Stadia supported controllers are also totally fine, including the Xbox One controller, and those just need to be paired to the PC in the same way you would play anything else.

To sum up, then. Stadia in Microsoft Edge is identical in behavior and performance to in Google Chrome. Which is exactly what we're looking for.

Chrome extensions add to the experience

The other bonus here, admittedly not surprising, is that some of the superb third-party Stadia extensions offered for the platform also have seamless operation in Microsoft Edge.

There are some highly-rated extensions out there that can genuinely change your Stadia experience for the better. My own favorite is Stadia Enhanced, which adds a suite of tools including a streamer mode, UI tweaks, and the ability to select 1440p streams among its arsenal.

To use any of these, all you need to do is go to the Chrome Web Store and hit the Add to Chrome button.

Why you should use Edge over Chrome

While the end experience is the same, at least on the outside, there's one pretty solid reason to choose Edge over Chrome for your Stadia gaming. Edge is better on resources, particularly your system memory.

This doesn't just apply to gaming, but nevertheless, Edge will play Stadia and be kinder to your PC in the process.

In my testing, it appears that Edge will use at least 300MB less RAM playing the same games, with only a single tab open. The worst I've seen is hopping into a game, having had Chrome open all day using it for work, where Stadia helped push it to a whopping 1.5GB used. Chrome's memory management is still generally behind Edge.

If you have a lot of RAM, you might not be so worried. Still, considering that Stadia can be enjoyed on lower spec machines, this suddenly becomes an even stronger recommendation. If you only have 4GB of RAM, for example, saving as much as 300MB of RAM will make more of a difference to your system than if you have 32GB.

Chrome resource use is such a meme at this point, but it'll continue to be so until Google sorts it out.

If you're interested in trying Stadia, you can sign up for free, and with that, you'll also get a month's trial of Pro and its library of games to try, as well as 4K resolution streams.

What you need to know

• Immortals Fenyx Rising is an upcoming open world game from Ubisoft that combines parts of Assassin's Creed and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
• Our previews show the game could be a real sleeper hit later this year, and shows a ton of promise.
• You can now demo Immortals Fenyx Rising on Stadia, Google's cloud-powered gaming platform, completely for free.
• No subscription is necessary, anyone can try out Ubisoft's upcoming creation for free, for the rest of the week.

Strange naming convention aside, Immortals Fenyx Rising may turn out to be one of 2020's surprise gaming hits, even with the busy holiday season ahead of us. Now, anyone can go and try out a small slice of Immortals Fenyx Rising themselves, with an exclusive demo through Google Stadia. Starting now, October 22, and ending October 29, 2020 at 9 am PT, anyone can sign up to play a free demo of Immortals Fenyx Rising, with no subscription needed.

Whatever your thoughts about Stadia (there are a lot), this is a great way to test the waters on this game before committing to a full purchase. Of course, Google also hopes this will convince you to subscribe to Stadia, as there is something a little magical about being able to play full console and PC-quality games on things that definitely shouldn't be able to play them.

If you're interested, just head to the Stadia website to try out the Immortals Fenyx Rising demo.

We recently interviewed the Associate Game Director for Immortals Fenyx Rising, and learned a lot about what inspired the game, what players can expect, and what the future holds for Immortals Fenyx Rising.

What you need to know

• Surface Duo can work as a crazy, somewhat-impractical, cloud gaming co-op machine.
• A Reddit user showed off his Duo running both Xbox Cloud Gaming and Google Stadia running on a Duo at the same time.
• Both can be played at the same time, opening up some interesting co-op possibilities.

Microsoft has been pretty clear that the new Surface Duo is very much aimed at boosting your productivity, but no one said it can't up your co-op game, too. In a setup that looks truly ridiculous (and very awesome), Reddit user kxxstarr showed off their Surface Duo running both Xbox Cloud Gaming (née xCloud) and Google's Stadia game streaming at the same time. The result is what could be the most amusing co-op setup ever.

The photo posted to reddit shows xCloud running the Halo Master Chief Collection on the top screen while Stadia is running Destiny 2 below. As kxxstarr notes, because the Xbox controller works over Bluetooth and the Stadia controller works over Wi-Fi, you can open both, then tap the Xbox screen to make it the focus and play both at the same time. Just say goodnight to your battery.

Look, this certainly isn't something that's going to be a "system seller" for Surface Duo. But while it may be super niche, it's incredibly cool nonetheless.

After months of beta testing, Xbox Cloud Gaming is set to officially launch on September 15 and it'll be available as part of every Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be adding this to the list of reasons I need a Surface Duo.

Microsoft Surface Duo

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• Surface Duo review
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• Best Surface Duo cases 2020
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• Save up to $700 on Surface Duo

What you need to know

• Larian Studios plans to kick off early access for Baldur's Gate 3 on Sept. 30.
• The CRPG will be available simultaneously on Steam and Google Stadia.
• New game footage reveals players will start in Avernus, one of the Nine Hells in Dungeons & Dragons.

Barring further delays, Baldur's Gate 3 is expected to hit early access on Google Stadia and Steam on Sept. 30. Larian Studios announced the date during today's "Panel from Hell" livestream event, but warned that there's still a lot of work to be done on the massive CRPG so another postponement is possible. Larian Studios had previously announced in June that early access would begin in August.

Larian Studios understandably wants to deliver a polished experience for the latest chapter in the genre-defining game. Since Baldur's Gate II came out in 2000, another month isn't much of a delay. The game is based on Dungeons & Dragons and kicks off in Avernus, the setting of the recent D&D adventure module Descent Into Avernus. The first layer of the Nine Hells, the plane is ravaged by an eternal war between demons and devils.

During the stream, Larian Studios creative director Swen Vincke emphasized the scope of the project by comparing the amount of content that will be in the Baldur's Gate early access to the first build of Larian's last game, Divinity: Original Sin 2. Baldur's Gate 3 will have 80 combat encounters vs. 22 in Divinity and 146 different spells and actions compared to Divinity's 69.

While the full list of playable classes and races will be shared closer to the launch, the developers confirmed five starting characters: the vampiric elf rogue Astarion, human wizard Gale, githyanki warrior Lae'zel, half-elf cleric Shadowheart, and human warlock Wyll. New gameplay footage showed Lae'zel helping out an Intellect Devourer, a classic D&D monster that's basically a human brain with tentacles. There are plenty of choices in just that scene, providing a glimpse of the decision making that will affect character outcomes and lead to different plots.

What you need to know

• Baldur's Gate III is an upcoming role-playing game from Larian Studios.
• The team is known for its work on the Divinity: Original Sin series.
• The title appears to be coming to Google Stadia and PC at the moment.
• The game should launch in early access in 2020 according to

Baldur's Gate III is an upcoming role-playing game from Larian Studios. The team is known for the amazing Divinity: Original Sin series so expectations couldn't be higher. Right now, it appears to only be coming to Google Stadia and PC, but there's a preview happening soon and that may change.

We have no idea when Baldur's Gate III will launch, but it seems like Hasbro leaked it at the New York Toy Fair. PC Gamer reported that Baldur's Gate III is coming to early access in 2020. It seems like it's probably going to launch on Steam for that, but it's unclear as of now.

The outlet said the following.

Where do you think you'll play Baldur's Gate III? Will you try it out if it's a Stadia exclusive? Let us know.

With one single library update, Microsoft just ripped Google Stadia of one of its only reasons to exist. Today, without any fanfare or warning, Microsoft included Destiny 2 to its Project xCloud game streaming library, at no extra cost, complete with synchronicity for those of us who have been playing on Xbox or using save syncing.

Here are the games Microsoft added just today, alongside the rest of the full library.

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Destiny 2
• Sid Meier's Civilization VI
• Batman: The Enemy Within – The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)
• Batman: The Telltale Series – The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)
• The Wolf Among Us
• Wasteland 2: Directors Cut
• The Surge
• SUPERHOT
• Portal Knights
• GoNNER - BLÜEBERRY Edition
• Kingdom Two Crowns
• Sparklite
• Tracks – The Train Set Game
• Train Sim World 2019

Destiny 2 remains an incredibly popular game, and is practically the only service-type game with perpetual updates that might, might have justified keeping Google Stadia around. But now, why bother? On Project XCloud, not only do you get to play online, on the go, wherever you are on any Android device, but you also get to seamlessly sync your save file to an offline local version of the game, running on your Xbox console devices (whether it's the S, X, or Series X later this year). All of this, while ignoring the vast amount of superior games Project xCloud already offers despite being in preview.

Therein lies the only kicker, really. Google Stadia is actually released, a product you can buy in stores. Although, you could argue that it's effectively just a paid-for-preview, since the library sucks and it's missing tons of basic features, having only recently got some of its previously-advertised functionality like achievement support. Project xCloud is still limited only to the U.S. and UK, and even then, you need to be lucky enough to grab a spot in its preview program.

Microsoft seems to be taking a soft approach to the rollout of xCloud, having only just expanded its home console streaming function to more markets. Google Stadia has far wider availability, despite all of its downsides.

Still, despite the availability, Xbox's obvious advantages are beginning to mount up against Google: The superior relationships with developers, the promise of offline versions through home consoles and Windows PC, all with seamless syncing across all of your devices. Microsoft also just announced that xCloud is already seeing positive results in Eastern markets, with South Korean gamers spending almost double the amount of hours streaming games than westerners.

Google isn't down for the count yet, though. The firm announced it will be adding more than a hundred games throughout 2020, complete with timed-exclusives. Google has piles of cash to spend on competing in this nascent market, whether it's purchasing third-party exclusivity deals a la Epic Games, or simply buying up studios in their entirety.

One thing is for certain though, Microsoft's established presence in the industry is going to help it a ton when it comes to this new market, when you envisage a world where the technology powering these experiences is practically equal. Google is going to quite seriously have its work cut out if it wants to stand even the vaguest chance of Stadia being anything more than another product on Google's scrapheap.

Xbox Game Streaming

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• Xbox Project xCloud: Everything We Know
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Google Stadia is a cloud game streaming service that promises a 10.7 teraflops (tflops) gaming console you can access on your 4K display or your smartphone. Ever since the service launched, many users have compared the visuals Stadia offers with those of the Xbox One X.

Unlike the upcoming Xbox Series X which is rumored to feature 12 tflops of performance, the Xbox One X only has 6 tflops. On paper, Stadia games should look much better than what Xbox One X offers, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

We compared a number of Xbox One X Enhanced games with those available on Stadia to see what the differences were. When there were doubts about image quality or frame rate (FPS), we referenced Digital Foundry's analyses or reached out to the developer for confirmation. You can take a look at the chart below that breaks down the resolution and frame rate of games available on both platforms.

The Xbox One X and Stadia were connected to the same Sony 4K TV and used the exact same Game Mode settings. Stadia was played on a 330 Mbps connection with an ethernet cable attached to the Chromecast Ultra. Some games like Red Dead Redemption 2 render at 60 FPS when played on a laptop or smartphone at 720p or 1080p.

Overall, I would say that Stadia and Xbox One X offer similar picture quality. However, Stadia, in general, appears a little softer because it's a compressed video stream being beamed to your 4K display. This is why it was difficult to determine the exact resolution Stadia was rendering select games like Mortal Kombat 11 or Wolfenstein: Youngblood at.

Some of the biggest surprises were Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XV, and Red Dead Redemption 2. All of these games look decidedly blurry when compared to the Xbox One X versions. However, Destiny 2 renders at 60 FPS, so which platform you want to play on is your decision. Do you want better picture quality or frame rate? Final Fantasy XV and Red Dead Redemption 2 seem to be suffering from a lack of optimization for Stadia.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

What you need to know

• Google Stadia is a game streaming service that launched last week.
• Google claims that all games run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on the system, but that's not the case.
• Digital Foundry uncovered that Destiny 2 was 1080p 60 FPS and Red Dead Redemption 2 was 1440p 30 FPS on Chromecast Ultra.
• Google says that it gives developers freedom when it comes to choosing the resolution and frame rate.

A few days ago, reports emerged that games like Destiny 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 weren't running at 4K resolution on Google Stadia. We were able to verify this and discovered that Destiny 2 was rendering at 1080p 60 frames per second (FPS) and Red Ded Redemption 2 was at 1440p 30 FPS. This was from the Chromecast Ultra which the company promised would deliver a 4K 60 FPS experience with the right bandwidth.

It seems like there was a lot of confusion about whether Stadia would support 4K resolution for all games. Last month, Stadia's Phil Harrison said that the platform was designed to support 4K 60 FPS games, but if a game was sometimes 4K 30 FPS, it would stream it at 4K 60 FPS by possibly reencoding the image. You can look at the statement from October below.

Now that we know that all games aren't 4K 60 FPS on Stadia, Google has issued another statement saying that it gives developers complete freedom. If that's the case and the company isn't mandating 4K 60 FPS, it shouldn't advertise Stadia as a 4K 60 FPS service. The image quality you get on an Xbox One X is far superior. You can read the statement below Eurogamer compiled.

This is essentially putting the blame on developers. It's unclear what the issue is here, but it may be related to the development tools and the server setup. Do developers need to overhaul their games to support a multi-GPU model? We can only speculate at this point. Hopefully, Google will provide more information soon.

Are you playing Stadia on a 4K TV? What do you think about the image quality? Let us know.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Google's game streaming platform Stadia is here, and reviews have been a bit mixed. Beyond the laughably limited library, questionable device restrictions, and awkward pricing model, many reviewers are simply suggesting that the quality of service is inconsistent at best. First impressions are, as they say, everything, and Stadia seems to have stumbled at the first hurdle.

Microsoft's nascent competitor, Project xCloud, is already proving itself to be an incredibly fierce rival, despite not being widely available. Recent announcements at Microsoft's X019 event and elsewhere have detailed a platform that isn't only more consumer-friendly, but crucially, more developer-friendly. Like any streaming service, content is king, and Microsoft is crushing Google on that front before the platform has even gone live to the public.

Still, Microsoft has this uncanny ability to forfeit substantial advantages to competitors owing to internal politics, complacency, or a combination of both. If Microsoft loses the streaming race to Google, it'll be the result of a genuinely spectacular failure, because the sheer volume of advantages Project xCloud has makes me almost feel sorry for Google (almost).

Let's assume for the sake of argument that both platforms have identical (and good) service quality when it comes to latency and examine just how many disadvantages Google has to overcome.

xCloud is Xbox, Xbox is xCloud

As Microsoft has learned over the years, developers are gods when it comes to building a new platform. The chicken and egg scenario — where developers won't build content for a small platform, and users won't help a platform grow without content — is effectively what killed Windows Phone. Developer support has often given rise to questions about the future viability of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) in general. The lack of third-party apps and integration also led to Cortana being relegated to a Clippy-replacement, in the wake of Amazon's consumer-oriented Alexa. Microsoft is great at screwing up when it comes to building new platforms, but Project xCloud is different.

Project xCloud's server blades are comprised of repurposed Xbox One consoles, with an identical development environment. Developers and publishers don't have to lift a finger to get their games onto Microsoft's streaming platform. They simply have to agree to it. For developers supporting Stadia, those games have to be ported to Google's Linux-based system, which for many developers won't make a great degree of business sense unless Google is offsetting costs with subsidies or incentives.

At X019, Microsoft reiterated that literally, thousands of Xbox One games are ready to go live in XCloud today, pending agreements with devs. In a complimentary flex, they added dozens of extra games to the Project xCloud preview program, dwarfing Stadia's paltry offering overnight.

While there will always be questions about which developers will opt to support Project xCloud, Microsoft is also ensuring that it will have a large amount of first-party content to hit the service with massive investments in its own Xbox Game Studios.

Xbox Game Studios is a juggernaut

Wasteland 3 is one of many games coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Like Netflix Originals, Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios is becoming a juggernaut in its own right, acquiring various studios and major industry talent from all over the world. The investment in content is undeniable, and Microsoft is committing all of these games to Xbox Game Pass, and thus, Project xCloud on day one, alongside their retail versions.

Xbox Game Studios is working on dozens of games. From smaller titles like the survival-oriented Grounded to larger experiences like Halo Infinite, Microsoft is trying to ensure it has something for everyone, with a regular release cadence.

On the flip side, Google has yet to show any serious meat in its own first-party efforts. The library it's offering today is comprised of older games, save for a couple of heavy hitters most people likely already own. One day, Google may have its own Halo or Mario, but in 2019, Stadia looks anemic.

Google just kind of ... sucks

The pricing model for Stadia is odd. Microsoft is offering up all of its first-party games along with dozens of others for a monthly $10 to $15 payment. Redmond also confirmed at X019 that Project xCloud streaming would be included in Xbox Game Pass, ensuring you get all of this content on your external devices at no extra cost.

Conversely, Google is expecting its users to pay premium prices for games that cannot be played offline and are wholly dependent on latency and the service quality on Stadia. The subscription will net you 4K streams, but unless you have a beefy connection and unlimited data allowance, it almost seems counter-intuitive to even try. For UHD gaming, it makes far more sense to get an Xbox One X or a PlayStation 4 Pro rather than hope Stadia can reliably provide a 4K experience.

All of this ignores the fact Stadia is only available on a tiny slice of devices, including Google's Pixel phones and some of its other devices. XCloud will be available on any compatible Android phone, Windows PCs, and tablets, and most likely iOS down the line.

Google has also proven itself to be a generally hostile company in recent years, far-flung from the famous "Don't be evil" company motto that it has since shelved. This includes billions of dollars in anti-trust fines in Europe, privacy violation investigations in the U.S., and also recently stealing the health records of millions of Americans without consent.

Microsoft's race to lose

Despite all of the advantages Microsoft has with Project xCloud, it has this spectacular ability to misfire when it comes to building new platforms. To suggest xCloud is a definite win is not something I'm confident enough to do, but Microsoft's advantages are as obvious as they are numerous.

Google certainly has some advantages of its own, particularly when you factor in YouTube and Google Search, and its willingness to manipulate its search monopoly to its favor. Purely from a service standpoint, being able to go from a YouTube video directly into the game is a cool feature that Microsoft can only emulate with its very small Mixer community and negligible Bing audience.

Getting Project xCloud onto Windows and the millions of low-power devices will certainly help boost xCloud's chances as well, but there are other players in the space. Sony's PlayStation Now is available on Windows PC today and works extremely well, although Sony hasn't shown the same eagerness to put its first-party content onto the service.

Google Stadia might have beaten Microsoft to store shelves, but Project xCloud remains the far more compelling and affordable solution. Questions remain about scalability, live service quality, and hardware accessories for xCloud.

Conventional wisdom suggests slow and steady wins the race, but like all things, only time will tell.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Google Stadia is a cloud game streaming service that promises the best visuals given its power advantage over the competition. When the service was first revealed, the company said that it featured 10.7 teraflops (tflops) of computational power compared to 6 tflops for the Xbox One X and 4.2 tflops for the PlayStation 4 Pro. Naturally, gamers assumed that this would mean that every game was going to be at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second (FPS). However, a recent analysis by Digital Foundry revealed that that wasn't the case at all for many major titles.

Destiny 2 runs at native 4K resolution on Xbox One X, but it's locked to 30 FPS. Since the base Xbox One version also runs at 30 FPS, the team probably didn't want to give any players an advantage over the rest. On Stadia, Destiny 2 hits 60 FPS, but it's locked to 1080p resolution. This is a curious decision by Bungie because hardware that has 10.7 tflops should be able to run Destiny 2 at 4K 60 FPS. Hopefully, the team will change this with a future patch.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is another curious case. If you play it in Google Chrome on PC, the game renders at 60 FPS. Unfortunately, the image quality is locked to 1080p. Jumping to a Chromecast Ultra should give you a 4K picture, but it doesn't. The game looks blurry and Digital Foundry found that it's running at 1440p resolution and 30 FPS on Google Stadia's servers. Again, it's unclear why that's the case given the powerful hardware.

The outlet hypothesized that it was due to developers' unfamiliarity with the devkit and it would take some time for them to take complete advantage of it. Either way, the company shouldn't be boasting about "up to 4K" and "60 FPS" when many games don't even take advantage of the hardware. It seems like the team is unaware of the fact that Bungie and Rockstar Games aren't rendering their games at 4K resolution on Stadia. It doesn't matter what the reason it, consumers will think this is a corporation lying to them again.

Hopefully, Google will work with these developers to fix the problems. Since Stadia may be many gamers' first introduction to cloud gaming, it's not making a great impression. Social media is flooded with messages where customer service won't cancel preorders, how many gamers are blurry and only a handful "look like 4K," and much more. Google needs to tackle all of these complaints head-on because the Stadia launch looks awfully familiar to what happened with the Xbox One all those years ago. We all know how that turned out.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

What you need to know

• Google Stadia is a game streaming service that launched today.
• Google claims that all games run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on the system, but that's not the case.
• Digital Foundry uncovered that Destiny 2 was 1080p and Red Dead Redemption 2 was 1440p.
• The input lag is also higher compared to Xbox One X.

Google Stadia is a game streaming service that launched today. It features 22 games like Rage 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2, with a couple more promised by the end of the year. While this selection pales in comparison with Microsoft's Project xCloud, which offers 50 games already, the question a lot of gamers are asking is how does the visual quality compare to Xbox One X.

The Xbox One X is a few years old now, but it's still the "most powerful console in the world." It features 6 teraflops (tflops) of processing power, whereas Stadia has over 10 tflops. Given the power difference, you would expect games to look much better on Stadia than they do on Xbox One X, but shockingly enough, that's not the case. Before we discuss Digital Foundry's findings, let's preface this discussion by saying that Stadia offers a video stream. The fact that it's a video of a game running on hardware located hundreds of miles away means that the image quality will be compressed and have artifacts. It won't look as good as a native 4K experience being pushed directly to your TV. Games that are mostly static like Kine will look great, but motion-heavy experiences like Shadow of the Tomb Raider will appear blurry.

Digital Foundry started off by comparing input lag on Xbox One X and Stadia. Since Xbox One X doesn't beam an image from the cloud, the input lag is a lot less. Even games like Destiny 2, which run at 60 frames per second (FPS) on Stadia and 30 FPS on Xbox One X, exhibited more input lag on Stadia. This is surprising because increasing the frame rate usually halves the input lag. Destiny 2's input lag on Xbox One X was 100 milliseconds (ms) and 144 ms on Stadia. This can make aiming, even in 60 FPS, a little difficult.

However, if you compare 60 FPS games like Mortal Kombat 11 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider between the two devices, the findings remain the same. Mortal Kombat 11 exhibited 78 ms of input lag on Xbox One X compared to 122 ms on Stadia. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, when the 60 FPS option was engaged, exhibited 83 ms input lag on Xbox One X, but 139 ms on Stadia. If you choose to go with Resolution Mode on Stadia for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, then the input lag goes over 200 ms, which is essentially unplayable for hardcore gamers.

Now comes the part about resolution. According to Google, all games on Stadia can run at 4K resolution and 60 FPS. Digital Foundry found out that that wasn't the case. Destiny 2 may run at 60 FPS on Stadia, but it's locked to 1080p. This means that it looks incredibly blurry on a 4K display since it's being upscaled and is just a video stream. The Xbox One X version of Destiny 2 runs at native 4K resolution, but it's locked to 30 FPS. The same applies to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead Redemption 2 runs at native 4K resolution on Xbox One X and is locked to 30 FPS. The Stadia version, if you try to play it with a Chromecast Ultra, renders at 1440p and 30 FPS. So playing the game on a large display is a bad idea because the image quality is much worse than even the PlayStation 4 Pro port. Oddly enough, Digital Foundry said that if you used Google Chrome on PC, the game renders at 60 FPS at a lower resolution.

Given the power gap between Xbox One X and Stadia, we would expect all games to be 4K 60 FPS on Google's hardware, but that's not the case. It's unclear if this is due to difficult development tools or problems with the servers. Hopefully, Google offer more clarification soon because the company's 4K 60 FPS claims fall flat when it comes to Destiny 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2. If you were looking into purchasing Stadia hoping that it would offer better visuals, keep in mind that it offers better frame rates, but that advantage is offset by the increased input lag which makes aiming in Destiny 2 a little difficult, especially in player vs. player encounters.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

What you need to know

• Google Stadia is an upcoming game streaming service like Shadow.
• It's expected to launch in November.
• At a recent Stadia Connect event, the company implied Orcs Must Die 3 is an exclusive.
• It's only a timed exclusive and coming to other platforms.

Today, Google hosted another Stadia Connect event in which is revealed a number of games coming to the service down the line. While the majority of them were multiplatform titles that will be available on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One, it seemed like there was at least one exclusive announcement. The company made it seem like Orcs Must Die 3 (OMD3) was a platform exclusive, but a spokesperson representing developer Robot Entertainment said that it was only a timed exclusive.

Google's Shanna Prevé said that Orcs Must Die 3 is a "new exclusive game coming to Stadia."

In a recent post on Reddit, the developer's head, Patrick Hudson, said the following.

It's unclear why Google made it sound like Orcs Must Die 3 was a true exclusive. It's most definitely going to hit PC, and possibly PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The exact platforms should be unveiled soon.

Google is receiving a lot of criticism for announcing old games or titles that will be on other platforms. In order for any gaming service to succeed, it needs to have exclusive games. So far, Google hasn't shown off any compelling experiences. Maybe that's why the company chose to confuse gamers when it comes to a cult classic franchise like Orcs Must Die.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

What you need to know

• Google Stadia is an upcoming game streaming platform.
• Concerns of ownership of games have been brought up since it was revealed.
• The company said that its "Stadia Pro" subscription is more like Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus.
• You'll get discounts and a free game once in a while with the subscription.

Google Stadia is an upcoming game streaming service that requires separate game purchases. There's a free "Stadia Base" membership coming in 2020, but in 2019, only "Stadia Pro" will be available. Stadia Pro allows you to stream games you own at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. Stadia Base is limited to only 1080p.

Ever since the Stadia was announced, gamers have been uncertain what the business model is. Will Stadia Pro give gamers access to a massive selection of games like Xbox Game Pass? Director of Product for Stadia Andrey Doronichev was able to answer this question and a few others on Reddit.

According to the company, Stadia Pro is not like Xbox Game Pass, which gives you access to over two hundred games, but it's more like Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. You get discounts on certain titles when there's a sale, and you also get a free game now and then. He said the following.

If Microsoft bundles its streaming service, "Project xCloud," with Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, then Google has a lot to be worried about. Forgoing the ability to download games questions the very nature of ownership. However, there are other concerns that Google needs to address, like the lack of achievements at launch.

In the same Reddit post, Doronichev added that Stadia wouldn't launch with achievements. He said the following.

Considering those achievements are a necessary part of any modern gaming platform, it's shocking that they won't be available at launch. We'll have to see how Google implements them down the line because right now, Microsoft's "Gamerscore" system is by far the most advanced.

What do you think about this new information? Are you concerned about what Stadia Pro offers? Do you care about game achievements at launch? Let us know.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Excellent and affordable Xbox accessories

Up your Xbox experience with one (or all) of these budget accessories, all of which are approved by the gamers of Windows Central.

PowerA Play & Charge Kit for Xbox One ($15 at Amazon)

This charging kit keeps your Xbox One wireless controllers juiced up, and it offers batteries for two controllers. At just $15, this is hands-down our favorite budget charging companion.

ElecGear 4 Port USB Xbox One S Hub ($19 at Amazon)

This brilliant little USB splitter hub attaches perfectly to the side of your Xbox One S console. It's ideal for use with chargers, controllers, headsets, and more.

Controller Gear stand ($13 at Amazon)

Proudly display your Xbox gamepads with this stylish and functional stand. The licensed design is minimalist and black, and it has a hidden storage compartment, making the price of $13 a real steal.

What you need to know

• Google Stadia is an upcoming game streaming service.
• You pay $10 a month for "Stadia Pro" to stream at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.
• Google believes that internet service providers will raise data caps for game streaming.
• The launch of 5G wireless technology may also remove data caps.

Google Stadia is an upcoming game streaming service. You can stream games from the company's servers to your television or mobile device. As with any streaming service, consumers have to be aware of internet restrictions and data caps imposed by their internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast.

In the United States, many regions have 2 TB limits after which you may have to pay more. Stadia chief Phil Harrison believes that ISPs will raise data caps for game streaming services in the future. He said the following when speaking with GameSpot.

It seems quite naive to assume that ISPs will raise data caps. Companies could simply charge consumers more for game streaming because it's a burden on their networks. It's unclear what possible incentive they have for backing Stadia. Affordable internet is another area of concern.

According to Harrison, 5G wireless technology may fix the data cap problem, but it's going to be expensive. He believes that spending $50 a month on faster internet is worth it. Unfortunately, there are tens of millions of Americans who can't afford spending that much on such a service. This is why federal programs like "Lifeline" exist for those who can't even afford basic packages because they're too expensive. You can read Harrison's comments below.

Stadia wants to bring gaming to the masses, but right now it seems like it caters to those who can afford expensive routers, aren't worried about going over their data caps, and have the ability to pay $50 or more each month for internet. Why would these consumers choose Stadia over the next-generation Xbox or PlayStation which will offer lower input lag and 120 frames per second (FPS) gameplay?

Google is currently selling a Stadia Founder's Edition for $130 on its website. It gives you a controller, Chromecast Ultra, and three months of "Stadia Pro" which lets you play games at 4K resolution and 60 FPS. The free version, "Stadia Base," is expected to launch sometime in 2020, possibly around the same time as next-generation consoles hit retailers. Stadia Pro comes with free content and discounts on select titles. It's a lot like Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. You can buy additional games through Stadia, and with Stadia Pro, you have access to content on the platform, including Destiny 2, which is the first free title.

Xbox accessories you'll love

Every one of these quality accessories is guaranteed to enhance your Xbox experience.

PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox One ($20 at Amazon)

PowerA's take on the Xbox One controller is an attractive pickup for budget-conscious gamers that nails all the basics.

Talon PDP Xbox media remote ($20 at Amazon)

The Talon PDP Xbox media remote is great for watching shows on your console.

Xbox One S vertical stand ($10 at Amazon)

Stand your console upright with this accessory.

On this episode of #AskDanWindows, I take your questions on Google Stadia, Windows Core OS and tablet mode, privacy features you might see in the new Edge browser, Microsoft's approach to consumer product releases, and much more.

Grab a coffee or other beverage and dig into our latest episode!

Audience questions for episode 58

• Will Windows 10 Pro (or other existing SKUs) tablet mode benefit from the new shells they're developing? — @massijay
• What privacy features you expect to be present in new Microsoft Edge? Like Ad-blocker or tracker-blocker or inPrivate Window with Tor like we have in Brave Browser. — @kameshkotwani
• Do you see Google or Apple giving Microsoft a run for their money in the future when it comes to gaming? — @SilverFoxxx1
• Is the camera on the Lumia 950/XL comparable to the Note 9's shooter, or any other modern high-end smartphones? — @rodneyej
• How do you feel about Microsoft releasing products with seemingly no expectation of mass market success? They've released the Invoke, GLAS, and recently the Surface headphones all without a marketing push and with limited availability at retailers nationwide or worldwide. — @HeyCori

Thanks to everyone for the questions!

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Yesterday, Google unveiled its Stadia game streaming platform. Instead of relying on a traditional console, the company claims that it uses the power of the cloud to achieve unbelievable visuals and expansive worlds. While a lot of questions remain to be answered like pricing and input lag, it seems like Microsoft's Vice President of Gaming Phil Spencer saw this as confirmation of where the industry was headed.

According to a report by Thurrott, Spencer sent an email discussing Stadia and what it means for Project xCloud to employees after its announcement. Project xCloud is Microsoft's game streaming platform which should enter public trials this year. You can read a condensed version of the email below.

Game streaming definitely seems like it's the future of the industry, but Stadia still suffers from video artifacts and high input lag according to a report by Digital Foundry. Hopefully Project xCloud will be able to address these concerns at E3 2019.

Spencer promised that Microsoft will "go big" for the event, but it's unclear what this means. Unlike Google, Project xCloud needs to talk about everything from power, bandwidth requirements, picture quality, artifacts, and more to appease customers. What are some of the questions you want answered? Let us know.