Google Stadia Controller Gets a Second Chance
Google Stadia’s controllers are getting a second chance at play long after Stadia is gone.
Google Stadia was a cloud gaming service, and its biggest selling point was that you didn’t need a console or a super fancy gaming computer to play. It hosted big titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2, and all it required was a really good internet connection.
Stadia announced in March 2019, and Google assured people it wouldn’t end up like the many other Google projects that failed. The company also announced it was opening its own studio to release Stadia-exclusive games. The service worked with any console with Chromecast or Google Chrome access. This made it possible to play games on various TVs, laptops, tablets, and phones – as long as you had a way to connect a controller to it.
When the service was announced, the company also announced the Stadia controller. It came in different colors, plus the Founder’s Edition which came with a special Night Blue controller. The service also had a subscription that could get access to games, or you could purchase them individually from the service. This wasn’t the first attempt to do this. OnLive came out back in 2010 to try out streaming games. Google was next to actually try streaming video games. The announcement was seen as a really big deal – if anyone could pull it off, it was most likely Google.
The service launched in November 2019 with 22 games. But people just didn’t really know who it was for. The commercials were too confusing for people who didn’t play games, and the people who did play games already had consoles or a gaming PC. Not only that, but gamers didn’t feel like paying more money for a game they already owned. In February 2021, Google laid off the developers hired to make the original games for Stadia.
The service did eventually get some great Stadia exclusive games. Developers of games like GYLT made deals to have their projects released. But unfortunately for them, Google Stadia is set to shut down for good in mid-January 2023. The developers had no idea, and all the gamers who did invest in the service were blindsided. Luckily for the gamers who invested, there is good news.
Google Stadia is Dead. Long Live the Stadia Controller!
When Google announced Google Stadia was being shut down, they announced everyone would be getting refunded for the games and hardware purchased. The company will not, however, be refunding any subscriptions for Stadia Pro prior to September 29, 2022. Any refunds provided by Google are great, but the company announced one bit of fantastic news. Soon, the Google Stadia controller will be getting an update that will allow the controller to be used as just an ordinary Bluetooth controller. They made the announcement on their Twitter.
We’ve also got Bluetooth news: next week we’ll be releasing a self-serve tool to enable Bluetooth connections on your Stadia Controller.
We’ll share details here on release. pic.twitter.com/6vYomngfmA
— Stadia ☁️🎮 (@GoogleStadia) January 13, 2023
The Google Stadia controller was initially locked specifically to be used exclusively with Stadia. Prior to the announcement, enabling Bluetooth meant gamers had to create workarounds if lplayers didn’t want their controller to become a paperweight relic of a failed gaming service. Many controllers have succumbed to this fate, from the Tony Hawk Skateboard controller to the Guitar Hero guitar controllers that landed in pawn shops.
Google Stadia was a nice attempt at bringing gaming to everyone on the internet. The issue was that Google just wasn’t willing to invest in it, and it did not know how to sell the service. Well, after everything is said and done, at least the people who bought a controller before the shutdown got a free Bluetooth controller thanks to the refunds.
Let us know in the comments what you thought of Google Stadia and if you are looking into getting one of the controllers now that they work without it.
” Here Lies Google Stadia. It was ok.”
2019 – 2023
