Google's game streaming platform, Stadia, is now free to anyone with a Gmail address, the company announced Wednesday. To make the deal work, Google also offers new users two months of Stadia Pro – including access to nine games – for free.
Existing Stadia Pro subscribers will not be charged for two months of service, Google said.
Previously, accessing Stadia required purchasing an $ 129 Google Stadia Premiere Edition, a bundle that includes Chromecast Ultra, wireless Stadia controller, and three months of Stadia Pro, a service that offers free games and video streaming up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with HDR light.
Starting April 8, access to the standard version of Stadia – the games are streaming at 1080p resolution – will be free by subscribing to the Stadia website. Users still have to buy games to own, but those games can be played on a PC, Chrome OS tablet, Google Pixel phone, and other supported Android devices. Stadia controller (approx purchased separately for $ 69) is not required; users can play with supported USB controller or mouse and keyboard.
Two free months of Stadia Pro will give users access to the following games, starting in April:
- Conclusion 2: Collection
- GRID
- Gylt
- SteamWorld Dig 2
- SteamWorld Demand: Gilgamech's Hand
- Sam's Worst Collection
- Spitlings
- Stacks in stores (Stacks)
- Six
After a two-month trial period, the Stadia Pro will cost $ 9.99 per month. Subscribers can cancel online subscriptions, if they choose to do so.
Google has also made changes to Stadia Pro's automated streaming solution in an effort to manage bandwidth, such as efforts from Netflix, Disney, and Sony Interactive Entertainment, according to Stadia's deputy president and general manager Philip Harrison.
"As the population increases at this time, we are taking the right path online," Harrison said Stadia blog. “At Stadia, we are constantly changing bandwidth usage based on a variety of domestic and domestic features. To reduce the load on the internet again, we are working on a temporary feature that changes the screen resolution from 4k to 1080p. Most people on the desktop or laptop will not notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your own data usage options in the Stadia app. "
Google Stadia was launched in November and is currently available in 14 countries. The platform has 38 games available for purchase, and Google said it is "tracking more than 120 games coming to Stadia by 2020," 10 of those available only to Stadia.
