Google Stadia is moving to devices beyond phones, Chrome browsers and the Chromecast Ultra.
Google/Screenshot by CNET
Google’s Stadia is heading to new devices. On Monday the search giant announced that it will begin rolling out the cloud-based video game service to its Chromecast with Google TV streaming stick as well as a handful of other Android TV-powered televisions and devices on June 23.
Those devices include:
As with other Android TV or Google TV apps, you’ll be able to download Stadia from the Play Store, with a Stadia Pro subscription running $10 per month and getting you free games each month, discounts for purchasing some titles and the ability to play in 4K HDR.
Those who don’t want to pay for a subscription can make a free account with a Gmail address. There are some free games and demos you can play without a Pro membership and you can also purchase and play games outright, though streaming is limited to a 1080p resolution.
The company notes that Android TV devices not on the initial list will still be able to download and play the service, so long as you “opt into experimental support.” It cautions that while “this feature is still in development and not every Android TV OS device will work perfectly,” it should be functional.
A rival to the Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Google touts that its service has access to over 180 games available to play on phones, laptops and TVs.
You will need an internet connection of at least 10 megabits per second and a Stadia remote or “compatible Bluetooth controller” is still required for playing on a TV or TV-connected device. A list of gamepads can be found on Google’s Stadia support site, though it appears that the company hasn’t yet updated the page to reflect the new expansion.
First announced at the Game Developers Conference in 2019, Google has previously limited Stadia streaming on televisions to its Chromecast Ultra streaming stick and its Stadia Controller.
The service is also available on the Chrome browser, some Android phones (Google’s list of officially supported devices can be found here) and on iPhones and iPads as a Safari web app. Those devices are able to play the streaming service with other remotes such as controllers from an Xbox One, DualShock 4 or Switch Pro.