Google Stadia launch review: Gaming’s “future” looks rough in the present

[Karlston]

Google Stadia launch review: Gaming’s “future” looks rough in the present

Google's game streaming is too limited and too unreliable, for too little benefit.

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Streaming is the future of gaming. You can ask practically anyone, as long as that "anyone" is involved in selling games.

 

Ask Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, who said in May that "the streaming era is upon us" (convenient for him, since Sony has been streaming games since 2014). Ask Microsoft, which is testing streaming through its xCloud service and plans to add the feature to its regular game offerings next year. Ask the CEOs of Ubisoft and Activision, both of whom seem to think traditional game downloads and discs will be a thing of the past in a few years' time.

 

(Just don't ask OnLive, whose spectacular implosion in 2015 only proved that streaming wasn't the past of gaming.)

 

And you should definitely ask Google, which since March has been telling anyone who will listen that streaming is the future of gaming and that Stadia is the future of game streaming. But with the Stadia service going live for some pre-order customers today, a better question might be whether streaming is the present of gaming. More specifically, is Stadia a robust-enough product to convince players they can leave behind the comfort and safety of games running on local hardware in favor of games running on powerful remote servers?

 

After trying the service for a week through a pre-release reviewer program, the answer is decidedly "no." As it stands at launch, Stadia is too limited and too unreliable, with too little advantage to justify giving up on the established way of delivering and playing games. While there are some interesting fringe benefits to a gaming life in Google's cloud (and the potential for more in the future), today those benefits are not worth the headaches and risks associated with the transition to Google's platform.

Hot wired

Enlarge / Stadia supports a range of resolutions and Internet speeds.

Google

Google has been relatively up front about the bandwidth required to get a quality Stadia streaming experience in your home: 10Mbps minimum recommended for a "baseline" 720p experience; 20Mbps for 1080p; and 35Mbps for the full 4K experience. We tested Stadia on a Verizon FiOS connection (and the company-issued FiOS-G1100 802.11ac 5Ghz router) in the Washington, DC, area. Speed tests on that connection reliably get 100Mbps upload and download speeds, so bandwidth minimums weren't really a concern (the connection gets a "Bufferbloat" rating of C from DSLReports). We also intentionally throttled the connection via router settings to test lower bandwidth limits, and we found streaming quality more or less conforms to Google's recommended specs.

 

But getting a good gaming experience with Stadia depends on more than bandwidth. In a week's worth of testing, the Stadia stream quality seemed to vary wildly based on the mysterious vagaries of our home networking.

 

When running on a wired Ethernet connection, Stadia just about performed as advertised. That means smooth frame rates that generally held at 60fps and controls that felt largely indistinguishable from those on local hardware (even with the Stadia controller connected directly to the router via Wi-Fi). While there was likely some additional input lag over local play, in Ethernet tests it wasn't enough to be noticeable to the naked eye, even for twitchy shooters and fighting games. Playing with friends online was similarly smooth, with no significant lag over a wired connection (though we weren't able to test out online voice communications during the pre-release review period).

 

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The stability of wired Stadia play was in stark contrast to the Wi-Fi Stadia experience, which was inconsistent to the point of aggravation. This became apparent in our very first tests, playing Mortal Kombat 11 on a Chromecast Ultra stationed on a TV one floor above the router.

 

The first few single-player matches played beautifully, with crisp, smooth graphics and controls that made quick special moves easy to pull off. Then the Chromecast suddenly warned me that my connection had become "unreliable" and that "gameplay may stop" if it didn't improve. The sudden message was all the more vexing because I was alone in the house, with no other devices actively running on the network.

 

At that point, I faced a noticeable drop in resolution and frequent frame-rate stutters that made the game nearly unplayable. As promised, gameplay was forced to stop a couple of times as Stadia kicked me back to the main menu (while I was able to reconnect relatively quickly and without losing my spot in the game, but it was still a major annoyance).

 

The Wi-Fi inconsistencies continued for the rest of the week. One day, the Wi-Fi connection would be so bad that I could barely get a Stadia stream to run for a minute on a Chromebook sitting mere feet from my router. The next day, that same Chromebook would provide an excellent Stadia stream in my downstairs kitchen even with a Netflix stream running on a nearby iPad. These were in locations in the house where I usually get a reliable Wi-Fi connection and where I didn't run into similar problems when testing Microsoft's xCloud beta on a Pixel phone last month (though xCloud resolution did bounce up and down a lot depending on the connection quality).

 

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Even the "bad" Wi-Fi experience was often "good enough" for slower-paced games like Kine or Gylt, where a bit of visual stuttering or a missed input isn't the end of the world. But on a game like Destiny 2 or Mortal Kombat 11, these frequent and unexplained quality dips did not make me feel like this was the future of gaming.

 

Perhaps other testers with different routers or Wi-Fi spectrum environments won't see the same wireless issues with Stadia that we did. For now, though, if you plan to use Stadia over Wi-Fi, we highly recommend you borrow a "buddy pass" from a pre-order subscriber and test how the service works in your own home before making the investment.

Pick your poison

Stadia is in many ways three separate products bundled into one service. There's the Stadia available on a Chromecast Ultra hooked up to your TV. There's the Stadia available on Pixel phones (and other iOS and Android devices, eventually). And there's the Stadia available on any PC or laptop that can run a Chrome browser.

 

Ideally, all three of these would feel like seamless parts of one whole; a down payment on Google's promise of eventually bringing gaming to every screen in your life. At launch, though, all three feel like they were created by separate teams that barely talked to each other.

Stadia launch feature comparison
	TV	PC	Mobile
Hardware/software	Chromecast Ultra	Chrome browser	Pixel 2/3/3a/4*
Max. Resolution	4K (with Stadia Pro sub.)	1080p*	1080p
Stadia controller	Wireless only	Wired only*	Wired only*
Generic controllers	No	Wired/wireless	Wired/wireless
Party/voice chat	Yes	No*	Yes
Buy games directly	No	Yes	No

* Feature due for improvement/broadening in 2020.

 

Of the three versions of Stadia, the Chrome browser version feels the least robust. For one, it's currently limited to a 1080p image. That might not be too noticeable on an average living room TV or on a tiny mobile phone screen. But it ends up being a real limitation when you're sitting only a foot away from a big PC monitor (or even a moderately sized laptop monitor).

 

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More than that, the Chrome browser stream is noticeably less sharp than the same games running locally, even at the same resolution. The Stadia version looks like someone smeared a thin film of vaseline on the camera lens before sending the image to the monitor, as you can see in the above album of screens comparing Steam and Stadia versions of Destiny 2 (the local version was captured at maximum settings and 1080p resolution). Google says higher-resolution streaming will be available via Chrome "as soon as early 2020," but for now, the browser provides a passable but disappointing Stadia experience.

 

That's a shame, because the Chromecast Ultra version of Stadia shows that the service has the potential to do more. The 4K images you get from a fully functional Stadia stream on your TV are hard to distinguish from those coming from a local PS4 Pro (assuming your Internet cooperates, as discussed above). Those images come with a bandwidth cost of up to 20GB/hour, though, so be wary if your Internet provider has a data cap.

 

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Chromecast Ultra is also the only way to use the Stadia Controller wirelessly at launch (it needs to be hooked up via USB-C on mobile and PC, for now). That controller is one of the highlights of the Stadia launch package: it boasts a solid, well-balanced weight; comfortable, clicky face buttons and analog sticks; quality ergonomic design on the d-pad and shoulder triggers; and strong, distinct rumble motors. That's especially important, because the Stadia controller is the only one that works with Stadia on Chromecast (so be ready to invest in another for local multiplayer).

 

If your Wi-Fi cooperates, the mobile version of Stadia provides a convenient way to play high-end titles anywhere in the house. And Stadia's 1080p mobile stream resolution is plenty for the more limited smartphone screen real estate. But the mobile version is the only one that doesn't support voice chat and multiplayer parties at launch, for some reason. That's OK, though, because the mobile Stadia app is also the only way to buy Stadia games at launch, meaning you'll have to pull it out before buying games for the Chromecast or PC versions.

 

That oversight doesn't even cover all the features missing from all three versions of Stadia at launch. Stadia games don't have an Achievement UI yet. You can't share purchased games with a subsidiary family account. The ballyhooed Google Assistant integration, which has its own button on the controller, isn't working at launch. And while you can capture screenshots and videos using a button on the controller, those captures are currently trapped on the Stadia mobile app, with no way to remove them or share them with the world until next year.

 

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Many Stadia-exclusive features that were supposed to set the platform apart also aren't ready in time for launch, despite being discussed publicly since March. You can't share unique game states through an easy Web link. You can't stream your gameplay to YouTube and let viewers jump into your multiplayer session immediately. And you can't integrate your gaming viewpoint into another Stadia user's screen.

 

Maybe one day these features and more will put Stadia at or above par with other game platforms. Right now, across all three hardware use cases, the platform itself feels a bit half-baked.

Was this trip really necessary?

It should be clear by now that there are a number of technical and logistical headaches involved with the launch version of Stadia. But while Wi-Fi reliability will likely remain a problem for many, none of Stadia's launch issues are so severe they can't be fixed with time and effort.

 

Even if every single problem with Stadia was magically fixed tomorrow, though, the benefits of the service wouldn't necessarily be worth the costs.

 

One of Stadia's core value propositions seems to be the promise that you'll never have to buy "expensive" video game hardware again. Why spend hundreds of dollars on a new game console, the argument goes, when your existing Internet connection and hardware are all you need for quality gaming on Stadia?

 

That argument breaks down the more you look at it. Let's start with TV gaming, for simplicity's sake. For that use case, you'll need to spend $130 for a Chromecast Ultra and a Stadia controller. That's a bit cheaper than the going rate for a console these days, but it's not nothing.

Stadia side by side
	Stadia Pro/Founder's Edition	Stadia Base
Availability	November (via pre-order)	"2020"
Upfront cost	$129.99	None
Included up front	Chromecast Ultra, Stadia controller, three-month Pro subscription + three-month "buddy pass," Destiny 2	Nothing
Monthly cost	$9.99	None
Maximum stream quality	4K resolution, 60fps, 5.1 surround sound, HDR color	1080p resolution, 60fps, stereo sound
Other Benefits	Discounts on game purchases; free games at "regular cadence"; early reservation of "Stadia name"	None
Supported devices (at launch)	Chromecast Ultra; Computer w/ Chrome browser; Google Pixel 2 and above phones
Additional games	Purchase a la carte on either tier

 

More than that, using Stadia currently requires a $10/month Stadia Pro subscription. That might not sound too bad, but over a seven-year console generation it'll add up to $840 (not including the TV hardware costs). Meanwhile, if you bought a PS4 on launch day in 2013 and kept it until the PS5's expected launch late next year, you only spent $400 for the privilege (or $800 if you upgraded to the PS4 Pro a few years back). If you invest in 4K gaming on Sony's PS5 or Microsoft's Project Scarlett next year, you'll probably pay a similar amortized cost over the years.

 

That's not a completely apples-to-apples comparison, since Stadia Pro also comes with some free games. But until we hear more about the promised "regular cadence" and selection of those freebies, it's hard to judge that program based solely on the launch availability of Destiny 2. And let's not forget that Sony and Microsoft both offer $60/year (or less) subscriptions that have provided two to four freebie games a month for years. Even considering hardware, that's still a lower seven-year cost than Stadia Pro. Alternatively, you can invest in console subscription services that provide instant downloadable access to hundreds of legacy games, if you choose.

 

(Stadia Pro's value looks a little better when compared to buying and maintaining a decent gaming PC. But the Stadia version of Destiny 2 is missing features like text chat, suggesting that the keyboard/mouse crowd isn't necessarily the main target audience here.)

 

Yes, Google will be launching a free "Stadia Base" streaming tier sometime next year that removes the monthly cost (and offering a Pro subscription option that doesn't require $130 in hardware purchases). But that free tier also limits streams to 1080p, the same visual quality you can already get locally from a $200 Xbox One S. That's a bit more than the $130 Stadia TV package, but the Xbox One S offers much more gaming variety at the same time.

 

(If you don't care about TV gaming at all, or you don't care about the best streaming quality, that Stadia Base eventually starts to look like a better deal. That's even truer if you plan to go to the hassle of hooking your cheap laptop up to your TV for big-screen play.)

 

Ah, but Stadia is about more than just the TV. What about laptop and mobile play? A modern game console has you covered there, too. The PS4 has had the ability to stream games locally to PCs and Macs on the same home network since 2016, and it added iOS and Android in-home streaming this year. Xbox One users have been streaming their games to Windows machines for years, and the company has promised that "all games you own, or games you purchase in the future" will be streamable to phones via xCloud starting next year (Microsoft has been vague on whether there will be an additional cost to this, though). And if you splurge for a gaming PC, Steam now lets you stream to devices outside the house or stream a local multiplayer game to share it with friends.

 

On top of all that, there's also the fact that Stadia's multi-screen "portability" only works at all if you have a reliable and decently fast Internet connection available. If you want true multi-screen portability, a Nintendo Switch offers a serious (albeit lower-powered) gaming option that you can play in a car, train, plane, doctor's waiting room, etc.

What's the point?

Games available on Stadia at launch (prices updated as we know them):

 

• Assassin's Creed Odyssey - $30 (Stadia Pro deal / $59.99 reg. price)
• Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle
• Destiny 2: The Collection * (included with Stadia Pro subscription)
• Farming Simulator 19
• Final Fantasy XV - $29.99 (Stadia Pro deal / $39.99 reg. price)
• Football Manager 2020
• Grid (2019)
• Gylt* - $29.99
• Just Dance 2020 - $49.99
• Kine* - $19.99
• Metro Exodus
• Mortal Kombat 11* - $41.99 (Stadia Pro Deal / $59.99 reg. price)
• NBA 2K20
• Rage 2
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - $59.99 (Available Nov. 19)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider - $29.99
• Samurai Shodown (included with Stadia Pro subscription)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition* - $59.99
• Thumper - $19.99
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - $9.99 (Stadia Pro Deal / $19.99 reg. price)
• Trials Rising
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood

* Tested during pre-release review period

 

Games due to launch on Stadia before the end of 2019:

• Borderlands 3
• Darksiders: Genesis
• Dragonball Xenoverse 2
• Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Game planned for Stadia launch in 2020:

• Baldur's Gate 3**
• The Crew 2
• Cyberpunk 2077**
• Destroy All Humans
• Doom (2016)
• Doom Eternal**
• Get Packed** (Stadia exclusive)
• Gods & Monsters**
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Orcs Must Die 3** (timed Stadia exclusive)
• Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
• Superhot
• Watch Dogs: Legion**
• Windjammers 2

** - Titles not available on any platform as of Stadia launch

 

When you get down to it, the actual benefits Stadia offers over other platforms start to look pretty weak. Yes, you can start Stadia games seconds after you buy them, rather than making time and hard drive space for a massive download. But if you have an Internet connection good enough for Stadia, downloading a game is just a one-time annoyance of a few hours per game (and both the PS4 and the Xbox One can download updates automatically while you're away, if you leave them in standby mode).

 

Google could point to the fact that Stadia's data center hardware will always run games at the bleeding edge, with the necessary hardware upgrades to run games at their highest settings. It's a decent argument and one that will look better in five years or so when the next generation of console hardware starts to look long in the tooth. But it's an argument that's only true for the games that make it to Stadia in the first place. Thus far, the platform's tepid launch lineup of mostly months-old games doesn't give us high hopes that it will match Sony and Microsoft's vast libraries of first-party exclusives and first-run third-party content any time soon.

 

Google could point to the promise of coming Stadia-exclusive games that it says will use the distributed power of cloud architecture to provide features that are "not possible" on a local machine. But that promise remains unproven, and rough experiments like Microsoft's cloud-distributed physics in Crackdown 3's online mode shows it's not so simple to convert promise to practice. The only Stadia exclusive at launch, Gylt, is an intimate and well-made puzzle-adventure thriller, but it's not the kind of platform-seller that will set Stadia apart at the moment.

 

In exchange for those marginal or unproven benefits, a Stadia customer faces some inherent risk by paying full price for games on a service that Google could shut down at any point. Unlike discs and (DRM-free) downloads, games you buy on Stadia could be completely inaccessible in the near future if Stadia goes the way of so many other abandoned Google products. Despite Google's assurances that it's in it for the long haul with Stadia, reasonable concerns still persist both among game makers and gamers themselves.

 

If Google wants to lean into Stadia's advantages and mitigate the risks, it would be better served positioning the service less as a full-on console competitor and more as a low-friction, screen-agnostic clearinghouse for sampling games. Spend a few minutes engaging with a streamed video ad, for instance, and you could earn an hour trying out any game in the Stadia catalog, immediately, on any device with a screen. Or, users could pay a bit more a month for an ad-free experience that offers instant access to all Stadia games for as long as Google is willing to continue accepting subscription fees.

 

That kind of seamless, YouTube-style instant access to a vast array of content could be worth all the headaches associated with Stadia, especially if the library of available games continues to grow. For now, though, investing in Stadia instead of a console seems like a bunch of hassle for very minimal benefit. Stadia could eventually grow into the future of gaming, but in the present, it's just not worth it.

 

The Good

• Over a wired Ethernet connection, streaming feels a lot like local play.
• Stadia controller is solid and well-built.
• 4K streams on Chromecast look very sharp under ideal Internet conditions.
• Starting games without the need for a download is pretty neat.

The Bad

• Wi-Fi performance can be extremely inconsistent
• Chrome browser streams are limited to 1080p (for now) and look worse than similar resolution running locally.
• A vast array of missing and "coming soon" features.
• Up front/monthly costs don't provide much savings over a console (which can do in-home streaming).

The Ugly

• The prospect of paying full price for games that only last as long as Google supports the service.

Verdict: Early adopters feel like they're getting a beta product here. Wait until next year to see if Google can work out the kinks and proves the service's longevity.

 

 

Source: Google Stadia launch review: Gaming’s “future” looks rough in the present (Ars Technica)

 

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