Google has announced that, starting today and rolling out over the next 48 hours, Stadia is now free to use in all 14 countries where the games streaming service is supported, so long as users have a Gmail account.
New users can sign up at Stadia’s website with their Gmail account, with access at the free tier allowing players to purchase games and stream them with up to 1080p/60 fps with stereo surround sound. Players who sign up today during this new free rollout, however, will also receive two free months to Stadia’s Pro subscription tier level, with the option to either continue a $9.99/month subscription or opt out afterward. And anyone already subscribed to Stadia Pro will simply not be charged for the next two months of the service.
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The Pro subscription tier allows players claim free games for their Stadia library on a regular basis, which they will have access to so long as that subscription is held, similar to a PlayStation Plus subscription. The current list of free games Stadia Pro users can claim is:
- Destiny 2: The Collection
- GRID
- Gylt
- SteamWorld Dig 2
- SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
- Serious Sam Collection
- Spitlings
- Stacks on Stacks (on Stacks)
- Thumper
Normally, Stadia Pro will also allow users to play games in up to 4K/60fps/HDR format, but Google has also announced today that, in light of the current coronavirus pandemic and the increased strain on internet usage, the default screen resolution for all players will be 1080p for the time being.
“To reduce load on the internet further, we’re working toward a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p,” VP and GM of Stadia Phil Harrison said in a statement alongside the announcement. “With increased demand due to more people at home during this time, we’re taking a responsible approach to internet traffic… The vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won’t notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your data usage options in the Stadia app.”
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Stadia is available to play through an app on both Android and iOS devices, including laptops, desktops through Chrome, tablets, Google Pixel phones and some Android phones. Google has a full list of compatible mice, keyboards, and controllers to use with Stadia games. There are currently 38 games available to purchase through Stadia to play on Google’s streaming service, with more than 120 expected to come to Stadia in 2020.
The Stadia Premiere Edition, which comes with a Stadia Controller, and three months of Stadia Pro, is available for $129.99 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and EU. Stadia is available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, with more territories expected to be added this year.
Since Stadia’s launch late last year, we’ve learned that former God of War executive producer Shannon Studstill is heading up a new Stadia dev team, Journey to the Savage Planet developers Typhoon Studios have since joined Google as a Stadia first-party team, and that Gears Tactics co-developer Splash Damage is making a Stadia exclusive.
Source: IGN.com Google Stadia Going Free Starting Today