Google Stadia free tier, player limit, YouTube streaming reportedly coming soon

By Aaron Mamiit Published April 25, 2023

Google Stadia is reportedly preparing to launch its free tier, in addition to a player limit and YouTube streaming, according to code discovered in the video game streaming service’s version 2.7 update.

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Google Stadia promised two tiers of service. However, in its launch in November last year, the only option was the $10-per-month Stadia Pro, which was accompanied by the release of the Stadia Controller. It was unclear when the free Stadia Base tier will be rolled out.

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According to 9to5Google, the Google Stadia app is preparing to launch Stadia Base within the year. Currently, people can only sign up for the service through a code received when purchasing the Founder’s Edition or Premiere Edition, or from a gifted Buddy Pass. A string in the new update, however, reveals an upcoming option to sign up without a paid code.

Code in the Google Stadia update also revealed that Stadia Base members will also be offered a free one-month trial for Stadia Pro.

Google Stadia, meanwhile, expects a significant spike in players once the service starts offering Stadia Base. To prevent the influx of players from affecting Stadia Pro members, it appears that the number of free accounts registered in an area will be limited.

“Sorry, Stadia is full in your area,” 9to5Google discovered in the app’s code. “In order to provide the best game quality for everyone, we limit the number of accounts on Stadia. We’ve hit that limit, but we’re working hard to build additional room in the Stadia cloud so more people can enjoy the same high-quality game performance. Please check back in the future for new player availability.”

It is unclear what Google Stadia means by “area,” what the limit is for Stadia Base players, and how the limit is determined.

9to5Google also discovered code for YouTube live streaming, including features such as changing the stream’s name and visibility, as well as a family sharing limit that allows only one member to play a particular game on Google Stadia at any given time, and improved screenshot capture and sharing.

There is no release date yet for 9to5Google’s discovered Google Stadia features, but with the code being prepared, subscribers and potential customers should not be waiting too long.

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Google Stadia’s dedicated community faces heartbreak amid service closure

Google Stadia controller.

The Google Stadia subreddit knew about the service’s shutdown just slightly ahead of the official announcement. Users had already been posting about the Stadia Store’s UI changes that day when somebody posted a screen they saw in the app about how the Stadia store was “now closed.” In a few minutes, the whole internet would know that Google had decided to shutter Stadia by January 18, 2023, and refund all hardware and game purchases.

Stadia had a rocky launch and was never able to recover. So while the official Stadia Twitter account tried to squash rumors it was shutting down a few months ago, it couldn't stop what people saw as inevitable. However, it still came as a huge shock to many in the Stadia community. While Google is offering refunds on purchases, it can't fix what had become a tightly knit community of people who needed the failing platform to play.

Gaming

Ubisoft and more offer ways to play purchased Google Stadia games elsewhere

The protagonist of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla shouting in battle and wielding two axes.

Google recently announced that it plans to shutter its cloud gaming service Stadia in early 2023, leaving players who used it as one of their primary platforms in an awkward situation. Google already promised to refund people for their Google Stadia hardware and software purchases, but people are still losing access to games they enjoyed and save files they possibly dumped hours into. Thankfully, some developers are working on ways to help Stadia players.
The most notable studio to help Stadia players is Ubisoft, which was Google's earliest partner for the technology via an Assassin's Creed Odyssey demo. "While Stadia will shut down on January 18, 2023, we're happy to share that we're working to bring the games you own on Stadia to PC through Ubisoft Connect," Ubisoft tweeted. "We'll have more to share regarding specific details, as well as the impact for Ubisoft+ subscribers, at a later date." Thankfully, the Stadia versions of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and Watch Dogs: Legion support cross-progression, so players won't lose their save files.
https://twitter.com/UbisoftSupport/status/1575922767593078793
Ubisoft isn't the only developer to help. Developer Muse Games is giving Embr Steam codes to those who played its comedic co-op firefighting game on Stadia if they email the developer with screenshots of Embr in their Stadia library. Meanwhile, IO Interactive confirmed that it is "looking into ways for you to continue your Hitman experience on other platforms," as the World of Assassination trilogy was available on Google Stadia.
There's still the matter of the five Google Stadia exclusives: Gylt, Hello Engineer, Outcasters, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle, and PixelJunk Raiders. So far, only one of those games seems like it will be saved. PixelJunk Raiders developer Q-Games said in a blog post that "we hope to find a way to continue to share the vibrant worlds of Planet Tantal in the future, and we’re open to discussing opportunities to find the right publishing partner to make it happen.. Tequila Works, tinyBuild, Splash Damage, and Bandai Namco Entertainment did not respond to requests for comment from Digital Trends.
While the shutdown of Google Stadia is disappointing for players like myself who enjoy cloud gaming, at least players will be get refunds, and in some cases get the game for a new platform.

Gaming

This wireless workaround will give your Google Stadia controller new life

google stadia release date november 19 controller pax west 1 2

Google announced yesterday that it will shut down Stadia in January. The good news is that refunds will be given to everyone who bought all Stadia hardware, including its controller, so long as they bought it from the Google Store. You don't have to return the controller to get the refund (see the platform's FAQ page), but it doesn't have to go to waste just because Stadia is shutting down.

Users in the Stadia subreddit have been asking Google to make the firmware for the Stadia controller open source so that it would work on PC and consoles even after its namesake platform has been put out to pasture (per Eurogamer). Though Google won't be able to do that in an official capacity anytime soon, software engineer Parth Shah created a workaround tool that allows players to use the controller wirelessly over Wi-Fi.