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PSA: You now have a year to save your Stadia controller from death
Google has provided users an extra year to update their controller to Bluetooth mode
Hey, all you former Stadia players, those of you who've picked up one of the beautiful controllers now have an additional year to update them to Bluetooth mode to ensure they don't wind up as e-waste. When Stadia was shuttered earlier this year, Google announced that users would have until December 31, 2023, to convert their controller from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth mode. As spotted by @wario64 on Threads, it seems Google has changed its mind and has given users until December 31, 2024, to make the switch.
One year later: Where Google went wrong with Stadia
A year after it was announced the service would shut down, how fondly do we remember Stadia?
It's been more than a year since Google announced it was killing off its short-lived cloud gaming service, Stadia. Stadia was controversial from the beginning, with some praising its potential and others criticizing its lack of promised features. Stadia had some great ideas, some arguably ahead of their time, but ultimately, they were not executed in a way that resonated with most players. In the end, the skeptics were right, and Stadia joined the ever-growing Google Graveyard in January of this year. As much as Stadia was a failure, it did lead to a boom in the cloud gaming space, and even with Stadia gone, there are several compelling cloud gaming alternatives.
12 best apps for college students in 2024
Yes, your smartphone can help you save both money and time!
College is an exciting prospect for a bright future, but there can be issues you might face during your studies. Organization, scheduling, financial responsibility, work-life balance, and maintaining mental health are things that new and seasoned students can trip up on. The Play Store has several fantastic apps to help you maintain a healthy and productive lifestyle while studying. This roundup of the best apps for college students ensures you have everything you need to tackle your courses prepared, and you can do it from an affordable quality Android phone.
I'm sad to see Stadia go, but it wasn't fun while it lasted
Despite all of its flaws, now that Stadia is unplugged for good many could miss the unique game streaming platform
It's clear as day many will miss Stadia now that the game streaming service is officially entering the Google Graveyard. Whether you're a die-hard Dadia from Reddit or simply love the versatility of Google's game streaming service, there's no doubt those that were using the platform have some large shoes to fill today as the doors shutter. While I can't say Stadia ever worked all that great for me, thankfully, there are plenty of Stadia alternatives to choose from that may work better. Still, it's sad to see the passing of any gaming service, which is why I'd like to explore Stadia's major strokes from the last four-year run. So let's get all retrospective up in here and reminisce about Stadia to see it out the door properly.
How to upgrade your Stadia Controller to the new Bluetooth mode
Google has devised a way to open Bluetooth support on the Stadia controller, and it's pretty dang easy
One of the biggest questions about Stadia's impending closure was whether or not Google would actually update the Stadia controller to open up Bluetooth support. Up until today, the only way to use a Stadia controller on a third-party platform was over USB, leaving it off the list of Android's best controllers. This all changes with Google's new Stadia controller unlock tool, which conveniently works through the Chrome browser. So if you've been keen to unlock Bluetooth support on the Stadia controller, perhaps to play some of Android's best games, we've whipped up this easy-to-follow guide so that everyone can get up to speed to play wirelessly over Bluetooth with their Stadia controller on their platform of choice.
Google's Stadia Controller Bluetooth upgrade tool has arrived
Stadia dies this week, but your wireless controllers don't have to
Cloud gaming may be a surprise hit, with services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now really taking off with gamers, but Google just couldn't figure out how to capture that magic with its own Stadia, and in just a few short hours from now, Google's going to pull the plug for good. But while Stadia is going to the way of so many abandoned Google services, we just got one last-minute reprieve in the form of news that Google would upgrade existing Stadia Controllers to support Bluetooth connections, so they could be used wirelessly with other devices. Today, Google is finally making that update tool available for use.
We're mere days away from Google shutting down Stadia. The company announced it would kill off the cloud gaming platform last year in a move absolutely no one saw coming, but the axe wouldn't fall right away. It's been a tortured path towards January 18th, but believe it or not, games have still been coming out for Stadia. Now, Google has released what will double as the service's very last title as well as a loving goodbye note to all its loyal fans.
Google gives its Stadia Controller a new lease on life, with Bluetooth support incoming
Even as Stadia itself is on the way out, this excellent controller is just getting started
The final days of Stadia are upon us. Maybe you were convinced from day one that Google's cloud gaming effort was doomed. Maybe you actually gave it a chance, and even started assembling your own little Stadia Pro library. But whether you counted yourself among the faithful or not, the Stadia party is now over, and we're under a week away from Google pulling the plug on its servers. For months now, we've been curious to learn what would become of all our existing Stadia hardware. Thankfully, Google has finally announced that it plans to upgrade Stadia Controllers with Bluetooth support, letting them operate with all your favorite gaming devices.
Out of all the products Google killed this year, Stadia stings the most
Stadia will shut its doors for good on January 18th as the latest to join the Google graveyard
I'll be honest; I never held out much hope Stadia would make it. I was one of the people from the very start extremely skeptical Google could actually commit to something as challenging as gaming. Perhaps my view was skewed by Google's poor handling of the Play Store's discovery problems over the last decade, or the company's complete disregard for our purchased property when it silently removed many of our purchases during the great GDPR removal wave in 2018. To me, it was clear Google didn't have the manpower or experience to take on the likes of Sony and Microsoft, and while it had developed worthwhile streaming technology, seeing that Stadia was/is one of the best-looking game streaming services out there, loose claims during Stadia's launch about 4K and even 8K games seemingly followed the service around until it's announced demise three years later.
This is how your Stadia Ubisoft games will be transferred to PC
In some cases, you may be able to even save your game progress
Stadia is less than a month away from fading into oblivion, with its demise set for January 18, 2023. Even though you can still play your existing games through the immediate holidays, you'll probably want to move as many of your game purchases to another platform before Stadia shuts shop. While some developers are offering free Steam codes for those that made Stadia purchases, Ubisoft is making the process much easier by transitioning its Stadia titles to Ubisoft Connect accounts, and it's all pretty seamless. You will be able to keep your Ubisoft games from Stadia on PC and, in many cases, even the game progress — all without paying a dime extra.
Google Stadia refunds are leaving users' Play Point balances in the red
You owe Google, not the other way around
Whatever your opinion is on Google Stadia's demise, one thing is clear — the company going the extra mile and providing users with refunds is a very decent move. If you were a Stadia player committed enough to spend money on it, you will soon see a refund hit your original payment method. You might even already have it on your bank account. However, some users are noticing a nasty side effect apparently related to the Stadia refund — their Play Points balances are in the negatives.
Google has started refunding your Stadia purchases
Keep an eye on your credit card statement for all that cash coming your way
In September, Google made it official that it was shuttering its game streaming service Stadia in early 2023, barely three years after its launch. The news wasn’t surprising at all as we all saw it coming, it was just a matter of when Google would pull the plug. While a lot has been said about Google’s tendency to kill products outside its core portfolio, the search giant is at least generously refunding all your hardware and game purchases on Stadia. In fact, Google has already started refunding users, so just wait for your credit card to get a hefty refund anytime now.
How Google Stadia developers are making the platform's shutdown easier on gamers
Worried about the shutdown? Here's what's happening to your favourite games
Stadia's upcoming shutdown announcement took us all by surprise, but none more so than game developers. Those working on Stadia games were given no warning of the shutdown, leaving the fate of many projects uncertain. Some developers were forced to cancel their projects outright, while others are scrambling to ensure players don't lose access to in-game progress.
Stadia exclusive Outcasters faces oblivion thanks to platform's impending closure
No more Outcasters once Stadia shuts its door
It's been two weeks since everyone learned Google will pull the plug on Stadia in early 2023, and while this news isn't surprising, seeing how poorly Google managed the service over the last three years, plenty of fallout is still expected. From the question of whether or not Google will do the right thing and update its controllers for regular bluetooth support to exclusives possibly going the way of the dodo. While we've yet to hear if every Stadia exclusive will officially find its way to new platforms, it has been confirmed by the developer Splash Damage that it has no current plans to bring Outcasters to new platforms.
It's game over for Stadia, will shut down in early 2023
Google calls it quits after less than three years
Cloud gaming has come a long way in the last few years, with more competition than ever before. We've even seen dedicated hardware from companies like Logitech, as the dream of playing whatever you want, whenever you want, has blossomed. Still, players have been slow to adopt cloud gaming as their main way of gaming, which probably explains why Google's latest statement on Stadia feels so unsurprising. Perhaps those rumors of its impending death weren't so exaggerated after all. Despite only being on the market for less than three years, Google is closing Stadia's doors for good in early 2023.
The next Assassin's Creed isn't coming to Stadia — it may be time to panic
Stadia's first public test was an Assassin’s Creed title, and Ubisoft won't be bringing the next entry in the series to the platform
Alright, folks, it's time for some doom and gloom. That's right; I'm here to talk about Stadia, and guess what? Even though Ubisoft has been busy launching games on the platform since the first test run in 2019, the developer has revealed to Axios Gaming that it won't be bringing Assassin’s Creed Mirage to Stadia. Couple this issue with the likely possibility Stadia won't be getting anywhere close to hitting its 100-game yearly goal for releases, with less than 50 total games under its belt as of this September, and it's evident Stadia is struggling.
Google Search will now recommend game streaming services when you search for a game
Streaming services, like Stadia or Xbox Cloud Gaming, now appear when you search for specific games
Over the last few years, game streaming has become increasingly popular. While it may remain less popular than music and video streaming, with the rise of apps like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, they're becoming an increasingly common option for gamers to play games (even if Google occasionally neglects its own Stadia). Now, if you want to find a specific game to stream, you don't need to scour through multiple streaming services. Google might be able to find it for you.
Reports of Google Stadia's death are greatly exaggerated, says Google Stadia
Always trust what you see on Facebook, right?
RIP Stadia? More like Stadia's ripping some troll a new one. Between the ardent fans of Google's cloud gaming platform and the cynics who just want to see a Goliath admit defeat, there's no shortage of The Discourse™ happening around it. Of course, there's talk and then there's rumor mongering: this week, two random posts from one user in a Stadia fan group on Facebook proclaiming the imminent death of Stadia had gotten some circulation in the gaming press. All that negative attention seems to have perked up Google's snark.
Amazon Luna vs. Google Stadia: Which is the best streaming subscription?
Which cloud streamer is best for you? Amazon's channel-based Luna or Stadia's more a la carte
Amazon Luna and Google Stadia are game-streaming services that offer an escape from expensive consoles and gaming computers. The two corporate juggernauts have access to extensive cloud computing power and utilize it to power their services. Their relationship is akin to Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's Playstation consoles, two companies offering a similar gaming service in different ways.
Stadia exclusive Outcasters brings its chaotic multiplayer mayhem to everyone for free
Including a free trial for non-Stadia members
Outcasters is one of the few exclusives on Stadia, an online multiplayer top-down shooter that launched on the platform at the tail end of 2020 for $20, a title we reviewed and were impressed with, even though the price was a little high. Well, Google has just announced that the game is going free to play for all Stadia members, even if you're not subscribed to Pro. There's even a new free trial for the game where anyone can test Outcasters without a Stadia account.