- At the Google Stadia Connect event, the company unveiled the pricing, launch information, and pricing of the gaming platform. These are the details you should know.
Google recently held a Stadia Connect event to give an update about the gaming platform. While we already knew that Google Stadia could stream content from a Chrome browser and through a TV via Chromecast Ultra, it was unknown when the platform would become available.
At the event, Google revealed that Stadia would be available in 14 regions including the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. And it will be rolled out with at least 31 titles in November.
The “Founder’s Edition” starter package will cost $130 and it will come with a Stadia copy of Destiny 2, three months of the Stadia Pro service (regular cost of $10 per month after that), a Buddy Pass so that a friend can have three months free, an exclusive Night Blue Stadia Controller, a Stadia Controller Power adapter, a Google Chromecast Ultra, a Google Chromecast Ultra Power adapter with an Ethernet port, and a Founder’s Stadia badge, according to Techspot. The Stadia controller is being sold separately for $69.
The $9.99 price for the Stadia Pro service will feature games at 4K 60fps streaming, but you will need to have an Internet connection of at least 35 Mbps. Plus you will also get access to certain Stadia games with the Pro subscription.
Unfortunately, users in Hawaii, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands will not have access to Stadia out of the game. Another limitation is that the Stadia service on mobile devices will be limited to just the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a at launch.
Next year, there will be a free base subscription that allows gamers who buy titles from the Stadia store stream it at 1080p 60fps TechCrunch reported. Some of the games that will be available at launch include Doom Eternal, Mortal Kombat 11, Farming Simulator 19, The Elder Scrolls Online, Just Dance, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Final Fantasy XV, Rage 2, and Samurai Showdown. And Rockstar Games also confirmed it is working on Stadia projects, but it is unknown which ones.
6/10/19 Update: Phil Harrison, the head of Stadia, pointed out game publishers that distribute games through the platform will be able to offer their own game subscriptions. Harrison announced this feature during the YouTube Live show at E3 in an interview with Geoff Keighley. It has not been revealed which publishers will be taking advantage of this service yet.
