Back in March (which somehow feels like a hundred years ago?), Google announced Google Stadia – not a console but a platform that will run even the most graphics-intense PC games from Google’s data center to an existing device without much lag time. The idea, as we wrote at the time, is to “reduce the friction” of gaming by allowing people to play pretty much any game on any device, from phones to browser, no matter how low-end, allowing gamers to begin playing almost immediately with “no download, no patch, no update, and no install.”
During its presentation today, Google provided a mix of game announcements of titles coming to the platform and attempted to counter some of the skepticism about whether it can actually deliver quality content at speed outside large cities. Notably for our audience, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Division 2, The Crew 2, and Borderlands 3 are on the shortlist of games that’ll be available through Stadia.
The company also announced pricing: It’s charging $9.99 per month for Stadia Pro, or you can just use Stadia Base for free by buying individual games as they come along. But of course there are specialty controllers, plus a $129 founder’s edition version that’ll come with a Chromecast Ultra, a limited edition controller, and three months of sub time for you and a buddy, early name selection, and the “complete Destiny 2 experience” including Shadowkeep as previously leaked. Preorders for the founder’s edition are open now, though Google warns they’re open for a limited time and in limited quantities because FOMO.
Stadia launches in November.
The stream is over now but watchable here:
It’s not an MMO, but the RPG fans reading will want to peek:
