APC Australia

END USER

Google needs to simmer its cloud streaming service for a while longer, writes Shaun Prescott.

-

Google Stadia is a great concept, but its launch is unimpressi­ve

By the time you read this, Google Stadia will have launched. At least, it will have done in Europe and North America: Google’s local office hasn’t made a peep about a potential Australian launch, possibly due to our ropey internet infrastruc­ture.

To summarise, Stadia is a game streaming service, but that doesn’t quite capture exactly what it is. Sure, you stream game software direct from the cloud, and while it has a subscripti­on model (there will be a free model rolling out next year with certain performanc­e restrictio­ns), this doesn’t provide a la carte access to games in the same way Xbox Game Pass does. In other words, you still need to pay individual­ly for each of the 20-odd launch titles like you would a regular game console, except the software isn’t running locally, it’s rendered remotely and the footage is streamed to your local machine.

Assuming your internet connection is good enough, this means you can stream ultra-quality games without the fuss of building a hot gaming PC. There are also options for lesser connection­s that offer resolution­s as low as 720p. If you don’t mind paying good money for software you’ll never have local access to, and which you’ll lose permanentl­y should Stadia ever be discontinu­ed, it’s not a bad concept.

Except it’s not a great concept straight out of the gate. Last month Stadia Director of Product Andrey Doronichev took to reddit for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ – basically an opportunit­y for internet denizens to fire off questions. It didn’t leave a great taste in one’s mouth. For example: any existing Chromecast Ultra will not support the streaming service on launch day, meaning anyone keen to jump aboard day one will need the special Founder’s Edition Chromecast Ultra. Other Chromecast Ultras will be updated “soon after launch”.

Meanwhile, Stadia doesn’t have any family sharing functional­ity to speak of at launch. “Family Sharing is not supported on day one, so you’ll have to buy games for your child’s account,” Doronichev wrote, with all the guile of a well-paid Silicon Valley luminary.

One of the greatest appeals of Stadia is the ability to play games with image quality far superior than what your personal machine is capable of. And yet, PC gamers won’t have access to any of the good stuff until some time next year. “On day 1, PC Chrome gameplay won’t support 4K, HDR or 5.1 Surround Sound,” Doronichev said, adding that support will roll out in 2020.

“Our approach to releasing features on Stadia is similar to how we run Google Search, YouTube and other Google services: gradual rollout and continuous improvemen­t, based on your feedback,” Doronichev wrote. All well and good when you’re rolling out services that no one is paying for. The Stadia has a mandatory $10 a month subscripti­on fee at launch and of course, you’ll need the Founder’s Edition Chromecast Ultra, which is $129. Oh, and that’s sold out, by the way.

Not to mention the fairly dire launch line-up: if you’re keen to play games that have been on other platforms for years, well, you’re in luck! Don’t expect to play the season’s big blockbuste­rs like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Overall, it feels like the Stadia needs more time in the oven.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia