Google Stadia Has Some Glaring Problems
Games available on Stadia
Before getting to the negatives, here is something excellent about Stadia: the choice of games. At launch, only 12 games were available. At the time of writing these lines, however, 45 titles are available on the platform:
- Anno 1800
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Attack of Titan 2: final battle
- Baldur Gate 3
- Borderlands 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Darksiders Genesis
- Destiny 2
- Destroy all humans!
- CONDEMN
- DOOM Eternal
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
- Fary Cry 5
- Far Cry New Dawn
- Farming Simulator 19
- Final Fantasy XV
- Football Manager
- For the honor
- To be packed
- GRID
- GYLT
- Just Dance 2020
- Marvel's Avengers
- Metro Exodus
- Mortal Kombat 11
- NBA 2K
- Orcs must die 3
- Power Rangers: Battle for the grid
- Rage 2
- The rise of the slayer
- Samurai Shodown
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Steep
- Very hot
- The crew 2
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Thumper
- Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
- Tom Clancy's
- Ghost Recon Breakpoint
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Blacklist of Splinter Cell
- Division 2
- Tests up
- Watchdogs: Legion
- Wolfenstein: young blood
That's not all either. Ubisoft Uplay + Subscription service is also available for $ 14.99 / month and it brings over 100 games, including upcoming games and DLC packs, etc. This is above the aforementioned autonomous titles. Neither EA nor Google have said anything about access to EA available. And yes, you will have to pay for these existing subscription services in addition to your Google Stadia subscription.
Google Stadia issues: cost
Now, Google Stadia is starting to look more like Apple TV +. You can stream content and you can also stream content from your other subscriptions within the same service. But that's when it gets even stranger. Certainly, Google will publish here and there a free game like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Games for Gold. It's more likely that you still have to buy most of the games you play, as you do now. So there is a Google Stadia subscription, any other subscriptions you may have, plus the cost of the games that you will probably have to buy anyway.
Google Stadia, at least it seems, aims to offer high-end games to the masses. One way to bring something to the masses, however problematic, is to make it affordable. Who should know better than Google, they brought us Android. Android was a trash can of problems in the beginning. But it was a lot cheaper than anything that worked on iOS. Google Stadia seems to have a cost rather than a benefit.
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Google Stadia Issues: Lag
When Google announced its streaming game service, lag was everyone's first concern. Google knew that would be the case, so they ensured that Stadia would be virtually lag free. They promised a gaming experience that you would have on a high-end gaming machine. But here's how Google Stadia works. It broadcasts a video of the game sequences on your screen. You can interact with the Stadia controller. The game runs on a server remote from you. The controller must therefore send the entry to the servers. The game will then respond to the input and this data will be broadcast on your screen.
Naturally, people were skeptical of Google's claims. Now that Stadia is out and the first assessments have been made, these fears have proven true. now the shift is not as bad as you think. The games are certainly playable except a few failures here and there. But if you have a high-end gaming platform or even a console, you know what a lag time can do for your online multiplayer experience. For most people, it's better than not being able to run a game like Destiny 2. The Google Stadia lag problem can not however be denied and ruins the experience.
Google Stadia issues: Internet speeds and data caps
The image above shows the Internet speed requirements recommended for the proper operation of Google Stadia. So, if you want to use it without delay, without stuttering, you can only play 720p if you have an Internet speed of 10 Mbps. This is a bare minimum without support for HDR or 5.1 surround sound. For 4K, you will need a connection of nearly 35 Mbps. It's just not affordable in most parts of the world, just like a high-end, expensive gaming PC.
Not to mention the fact that many people, even in the country of origin of Google, do not have access to unlimited data. Data limitations are an even bigger problem for Google Stadia than Internet speeds.
Google Stadia issues: Google
Yes, Google itself is a huge problem that makes many, like me, skeptical about this new service. Time and again, we have seen Google try something, fail, and then kill the service. I do not even remember all the communication platforms that Google has tried to create, such as Hangouts, Allo, etc. Google+ had to die after years of existence, abandoning the small communities that thrived on the platform.
And if, against all the skepticism, you decide to invest in Stadia. You're a subscriber, you bought games, you build your library, and then one day, Google decides that everything is over. The games you buy stay on Google Stadia. a bit like the books or movies you bought on Google Play Books or Movies platforms. The games are however much more expensive.
When I said earlier that Google was not Apple, that's exactly what I was talking about. I love my Android, I would not trade it for iOS even if you pay me something under $ 500. But, credit in its place, Apple makes things work.
Why? You ask?
When the iPhone was launched, it was not the best money that we could buy over the phone. There were glaring omissions. Before 2020, I do not even remember the last time an iPhone was the best smartphone of the year. 2014? But Apple worked. The iPad called an iPhone expanded, and a decade later, the iPad has become its own brand. In the meantime, Google has tried and completely abandoned the tablets.
The original Apple watch was nothing special, it was exactly what Samsung had done with his first watch. And yet, years later, everything pales in comparison to the Apple Watch. I recognize that these are hardware, while Google is trying to sell us in service. So let's take Apple Music as an example. Google started listening to music continuously before Apple.
Google Play Music was great too. When Apple Music was launched, its rating on the Play Store was laughable. It was a bad product and service all around. In 2020, Google has no idea what to do with Google Play Music, they also have YouTube Music. None of these solutions are as effective as Apple Music, which is gaining ground faster than Spotify can lose.
So yes, forgive me for not having too much confidence that Google will fight to solve problems, solve problems and provide us with a service we do not regret having chosen.
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