Google has finally given us more on its video-game streaming service, Stadia. The service will be launched in November this year, in 14 different territories in the US, the UK and Canada, with at least 31 games from 21 different developers. An initial ‘Founder’s edition’ price of $130 for a starter’s hardware kit has been announced.
The $130 will get users three months of premium service, along with a Chromecast Ultra to plug in and Google’s HD controller. A $10 subscription fee per month is applicable afterwards, with a free tier coming sometime in 2020.
The company has already started with the pre-orders for its Founders Edition. According to a report from The Verge, the company intends to have a catalog of free games included in its $10 monthly fee since as of now, the only free game you get is Destiny 2. For now, Google has said that that it expects users to buy cloud games for the same retail price as on PlayStation and Xbox.
Studios Already On Board
Following are the studios on board with Google, as reported by The Verge:
- Bandai Namco
- Bethesda
- Bungie
- Capcom
- Coatsink
- Codemasters
- Deep Silver
- Drool
- Electronic Arts
- Giants Software
- Larian Studios
- nWay Games
- Rockstar Games
- Sega
- SNK
- Square Enix
- 2K Games
- Tequila Works
- Warner Bros.
- THQ
- Ubisoft
The company says that more labels and developers will join hands in the run up to the launch in November, with the E3 also approaching next week. Google, however, has not talked about its own internally developed titles.
What does the $130-worth Founder’s Edition get you? A Chromecast Ultra to plug into your TV and a limited-edition dark blue version of Stadia’s surprisingly cool controller, along with three months of share-able Stadia Pro service. The controller, standalone will cost about $70.
The Stadia Pro service will be able to support 4k streaming with HDR 5.1 surround sound but will require a bandwidth of 35 mbps. The free tier, to be launched next year, will require at least 10mbps of internet speed to stream at 720p. It will be limited to 1080p with stereo sound when it comes out.
The Verge reported that when asked if Stadia will be supported by Apple products, Google’s Product Director Andrey Doronichev said, “We want to be everywhere,” hinting at a possible support for Apple devices.
(With inputs from The Verge.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)