Despite all signs pointing towards it not being a worthwhile investment, my curiosity got the better of me as I pre-ordered the Google Stadia, Google’s attempt at cracking the game streaming market, back in October.
My Stadia arrived today, almost surprisingly early considering the staggered release of the thing — there are even plucky souls who pre-ordered it back in June who haven’t received their unit. I excitedly (and caffeinely) opened the package, marvelled at how stripped back and straightforward it seemed to be, and then started to set it up.
So, how is the Stadia? Is it worth seeking out? Is the latency really that bad? I wish I could tell you, but as I have no invite code, Stadia is basically something that just plugs into my TV and sucks up my internet right now, a £120 purchase acting as a sleek-looking paperweight.
Google have royally screwed the pooch on the distribution of invite codes with even the earliest of adopters yet to receive theirs. I’m near the back of the queue for Google’s oddly stilted product, so my grievances aren’t quite as bad. Still, I can’t even browse the Stadia app and start setting things up, or even look at what’s on offer.
Speaking of apps, you need two of them for Stadia: one for Google Home and one for Stadia itself. I encountered a ridiculous roadblock with the Home app, it refusing to find my Chromecast device as I had connected it via ethernet — even though the Stadia instructions told me to do just that. As soon as I unplugged the cable, it picked it up. I really don’t want to have to pop and lock to Britney in Just Dance 2020 via wi-fi, especially seeing as how unreliable the connection reportedly is already.
Even when everything is set up, I have no idea how it will work. Will I need to keep my phone on to play games; will it eat up my battery? How long does the controller battery last, will I need to take up yet another socket to keep it regularly charging? There’s a lack of transparency with all things Google, evidenced by them not even releasing pricing beforehand for buying games, and clear information that seems to have been carried over to Stadia, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry72b_fIKAk
That’s irrelevant right now anyway, because I don’t have an invite code to do anything. The whole Founder initiative is intended to make those who commit early feel like part of an elite club, a club apparently so elite that not everyone is allowed in as advertised.
I really wanted to give Stadia a chance, but this, along with the lack of promised features and ridiculous prices to stream games outside of the subscription, makes me feel even more like I am paying for a beta that I can’t take part in. It’s obviously still early days and teething issues are bound to be encountered, yet I can’t help but feel like this doesn’t bode well for the future if they can’t get even the basics right.
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