The joystick from Google Stadia. (Image via Digital Trends)

Google enters the gaming industry with Stadia

On Tuesday, tech juggernaut from the United States (U.S), Google, released its product for the gaming industry, Google Stadia. With Stadia, Google aims to allow its users to enjoy console-like quality video games through Google Chrome on their PC, TV, or smartphone.

Google Stadia relies on cloud technology to store features so that it can be accessed through any devices. While any PC can play Stadia games as long as Chrome is installed, for smartphones, Stadia works best from the second-generation Pixel to the latest.

Last month, Google sold out its “Founder’s Kits” at US$129, consisting of Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra for a wireless connection that can be plugged into television sets. Therefore, Stadia relies on WiFi for a rich gaming experience.

Tech experts hailed Stadia, proving that for entertainment, no sophisticated technology is required.

However, the same optimism did not come from the analysts. With the gaming industry entering the highly-competitive stage, more and more tech companies are investing in making a more practical gaming device.

They also predicted that Google will just back off from Stadia if it does not live up to its expectations. For example, for some analysts, the first 12 game titles released for Stadia were underwhelming. In other words, the analysts pointed out that Stadia’s lifespan depends on the games it features or will feature.

Sony’s PlayStation, one of the most dominant consoles in the gaming industry market, also has an online gaming platform called “PlayStation Now”. To compete on the same level as Stadia, PlayStation Now cut its monthly subscription fee almost by half to US$10/month.

Stadia's monthly subscription fee is at US$10 available for 14 countries in North America and Europe. Of course, later on, subscribers need to purchase games, but for the starter, they can enjoy some for free.

Also, PlayStation Now enhances its game collection so that it can be accessed on PlayStation or PC running on Windows.

Microsoft is also developing an online game platform called Project xCloud.

Source: https://bit.ly/35hCcxP