Google’s Stadia team plans to add Bluetooth support to the Stadia Controller next week. They will also release one final game before shutting down the service in two days.
What is Google Stadia and all this sudden buzz around it?
Google launched Stadia in November 2019, a gaming streaming platform that allows players to stream games on any internet-connected device, without the need for a console. It uses cloud gaming technology and can be played on various devices such as laptops, TVs, and smartphones. Stadia utilizes a network of data centres to run the game and send the video to the player’s device. Unfortunately, it failed to gain popularity among users, leading Google to announce its shutdown in December 2020.
Google announced that it will launch its final Stadia game earlier this week, and also promised to release a tool next week. It will enable Bluetooth connections on its Stadia Controller. The last game to launch on the service is Worm Game, a test game that was technically available on Stadia before it launched publicly in November 2019. However, developers at Google have decided to release the game just before the streaming service is shutdown next week.
The game was used as a test for many of Stadia’s features starting before the public launch in 2019 and through 2022. The Stadia team spent a lot of time playing the game and decided to share it with the users before the service closes next week.
Bluetooth on Stadia Controller: The Wait is Over!
Google originally launched the Stadia Controller as a device that connects directly to Stadia services, with the Bluetooth chip disabled. However, with the announcement of the Stadia shutdown, fans have been finding ways to connect the controller wirelessly to other devices through workarounds.
But now, Google is releasing a self-serve tool next week that will enable Bluetooth on the Stadia Controller. This means that players will no longer need to use workarounds to connect their controller to other devices, and most Stadia players who purchased the Founders or Premiere edition will have effectively been given a free Bluetooth controller due to Google’s refunds.
The company will share more details on how to access this feature next week.
Why is Stadia being scrapped by Google?
Google is shutting down Stadia due to low adoption and financial performance. Despite its innovative technology, the platform failed to attract enough subscribers to sustain the service. The company has shifted its focus to other areas and believes that investing further in Stadia would not be the best use of resources. The decision to shutdown the service was announced in December 2020.
On January 18th at 11:59 PM PT, Google Stadia will be shutting down. Google has been issuing refunds for all software purchases made from the Stadia streaming store and hardware purchases from the Google Store. The company expects most of these refunds to be processed by the January 18th shutdown date. However, players will lose access to all titles and saved progress on Stadia after the shutdown. But, several publishers are allowing Stadia players to transfer their purchases and game progress to other platforms.
On Wednesday night, we will find out how Google will proceed with the shutdown of Stadia. Will they have a streaming goodbye at 11:59 PM PT? Or will players get abruptly disconnected from their games? The wait is almost over as the shutdown is set to happen on January 18th at 11:59 PM PT / 2:59 AM ET on January 19th.
