The official Google Stadia app for Android TV is now available for download, although it cannot yet be used directly as a It is closed pending final deployment. Of course, there is a way around this limitation: we have already played with Stadia on our Nvidia Shield TV. And the experience is very positive.
It’s not that Stadia has been a stranger to Android TV until now since, as we demonstrated over a year ago, the streaming video game platform took off in gamers and TVs after it installed the APK of mobile phones. It had some drawbacks, such as need to use mouse to choose games; it doesn’t matter how Stadia later worked with a physical controller connected to Android TV. Well, those limitations are history. Finally.
An experience similar to having Stadia on the Chromecast Ultra
Google Stadia on Android TV officially
Google made Stadia a cross-platform, machine-less physical gaming platform. Suitable for cellphones, tablets, computers, televisions
The Google Stadia application for Android TV is now available in the Google Play store, both from the player or the TV and on the web (to install it remotely). It is not possible to access the platform directly because Google has blocked entry while waiting for the service to finally be released. Fortunately, there is a way around the hurdle, as they found out on 9to5Google.
Do you have an Android TV and want to play your Stadia games now? Perform the following steps:
- Install the Google Stadia app for Android TV on your TV or player.
- You must have Stadia for mobile installed on your Android phone. Will be a launcher.
- Once you’ve installed Stadia on your Android TV, restart it.
- Open Google Stadia on your mobile and display the menu under the play button to choose the screen on which the match will be broadcast.
- Select your Android TV (in our case, it’s the Nvidia Shield TV).
- The game would start on your TV by taking advantage of the Google Stadia app and bypass the availability limitation.
Obviously, you must have a physical remote control connected to your Android TV. It serves the official Stadia, that of PlayStation 4 (or PS5), that of Xbox or, as in our case, the Nvidia Shield controller. The Stadia interface and the games are perfectly suited to the controls of the physical controller.
We did not encounter any limitations, errors or crashes: Stadia on Android TV works just as well as on mobile or Chromecast Ultra. This was one of the big failings of the system.
Fast and smooth experience with no perceived lags
Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadium for Android TV
We tested Google Stadia on all platforms, from the native platform with Chromecast Ultra to the iPhone web app. In all cases, the operation went well, as if there was no leap between the user’s environment and the machine running the games in Google’s cloud. And so it is on Android TV.
No more inconveniences with incompatibility of interfaces: Stadia allows you to browse all the games in its Android TV version and using physical control; You can access settings and also change playback performance (On supported hardware, and if you have an active subscription, it should hit 4K with HDR.) The only problem is that the Stadia menu can’t be opened while games are running, at least. on unofficial controls.
Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadium for Android TV
Cyberpunk 2077 works on Android TV as well as on Chromecast Ultra, we have not seen any latency between the press and the execution of the movement and, in short, the sensations are very positive. It almost looks like the game is running on Android TV rather than the cloud; no matter how much a good internet connection is needed (we used 600 Mbps symmetrical fiber).
The arrival of Stadia on Android TV allows those who have a player or a TV with this system to have access to the highest quality video games without the need to purchase a high performance computer. It’s not compatible with all devices (there will be some where it won’t work), but it should work on most. No matter how late you are, it’s always appreciated.
