Google Stadia

This just caught my eye and never heard of it before.

Thoughts?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/google-stadia-and-microsofts-project-xcloud-the-video-game-streaming-dream-was-inside-us-all-along/

I keep hearing good things, but I'm skeptical they can keep the latency in check in the real world.

There is appeal to being able to throw a controller and Chromecast in the suitcase and being able to play anywhere with internet. 

Indeed.  lthough don't most hotels have tvs without HDMI ports exposed?

Luckily pretty almost all good 90s PC games combined can fit on a single thumb drive, go anywhere with me, and run more than adequately on my work laptop :)

In reply to ProDarwin :

I'm not only skeptical of latency, I'm skeptical Google will continue to support it beyond the point where the more than two engineers lose interest.

The0retical said:

In reply to ProDarwin :

I'm not only skeptical of latency, I'm skeptical Google will continue to support it beyond the point where the more than two engineers lose interest.

Fair point.  Cancelling things is their brand now :(

So, I'm a "founder" now. Google really likes me and sent me a $100 promo credit to their store. I figured that $30 was worth it to try this system. 

Let us know how it goes.

Microsoft: Cloud gaming is “inevitable” but “years” from mainstream

"I don't think anybody should tell you that there's no lag."

Microsoft doesn't own YouTube either. It's sounds like a company trying to get you to buy their Xbox phone contraption.

That said, I'm trying to manage expectations. I basically got it for the price of a used game. So, if it's terrible, well it won't be the worst investment I've ever made. 

Think they're doing another video this month. We'll see if there is any new information or just hype. 

Anyone try the project stream test they did a while back with AC?

I'm going to get a buddy pass. Anyone interested in it?

Also, they announced RDR2 will be a release title. 

So, as I understand it they are using AI to anticipate the player's inputs to get around the lag issue. I'm guessing that may work out really well sometimes and be irritating at other times. When it works correctly it should be transparent. When you do something different or unexpected by the AI it may be a bit odd.

As I understand it, it kind of sucks.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/11/google-stadia-might-be-gamings-future-but-in-the-present-it-looks-rough/

https://kotaku.com/google-s-stadia-just-ain-t-it-1839930224

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/18/20970297/google-stadia-review-gaming-streaming-cloud-price-specs-features-chrome-pixel

I love the rampant speculation regarding how long until Google cancels it 

Literally just got it, review will come as I'm able to spend some time with it....

First review... This is impossible to play. I have the device, but not the invite code needed to actually get into Stadia. 

So, I've been able to spend about 1 hour playing with Stadia and generally I'm impressed.  I think the online reviews are suffering from the expectations that the marketing team set when they presented the concept combined with the minimal information shared leading to the release.  Most of the reviews are pointing out the initial missing features.  All that said, Google hasn't done the best job rolling this out.   As noted above, I had the Founder's Kit in my hand and wasn't able to use it because I didn't have my invite code to allow me to access the Stadia application.  I think this was just a bad design.  I jumped into the support queue to get some help getting that code, but after an hour or so I was still ~500 people in line.  Probably not the best day to be in Stadia Support.

While waiting, I got a delivery confirmation email from Google.  Immediately after that, I got an email with my invite code.  I'm not Chromecast savvy, but even still the setup only took about 10-15 minutes.  It did take 3 devices.  I had to use my phone, the controller and the chromecast and bounce back and forth getting the steps done.  Getting the chromecast connected, getting the stadia logged in and going, getting the controller connected and updated, and then finally getting the controller to sync with the chromecast.  Then you have to claim the games that you get free with the founders pack.  All that done, I was able to play a game.  I tried out Samurai Shodown.  I have no idea what I'm doing with this game.  I haven't played a fighting game since Street Fighter 2 in the 90s.  The controls felt absolutely normal.  I felt no lag, the buttons felt great.  The triggers are bit a different than the PS4 DualShock, but not bad, just lack of resistence.

My first real gaming was with Destiny 2.  I've been playing it a good bit on the PS4 so that I could have a good basis for comparison.  So how does it compare?

• The game loads a ton faster.  Initial log on, swapping locations, opening the character screen.  Everything loads faster.  The hardware behind Stadia makes the individual user experience better than a dedicated console.
• There are a couple spots when running on maps (the Tower and the Moon) that I can get to fast enough that the PS4 has to pause my screen to load the rest of the map.  That doesn't happen when I play on Stadia.  I can fly around at high speed and the game keeps up.
• Graphically, the game looks as good as on the PS4.  I don't know about framerates on either.  I didn't measure.  That said, I experienced no drops that were noticeable in any situation.
• When I first played, D2 felt slow.  I had to go into the options and increase the look speed up, and then it felt much better.
• There is an oddity in the sound that I need to go back to the PS4 to verify.  I feel like there is a lag on the sound of gunfire.  Pull the trigger, see the rounds/tracers, then hear the gunshots.
• Data usage

I'm happy to continue playing D2 on Stadia.  So, should you buy it?  It depends. 

Does it have the games you want to play?  That's probably first.  Does it support the way you want or need to play?  That's why I'm interested.  I'll test on my phone later and see how it does.  The idea that I can take "real" games and play anywhere is a value to me.  The PS4 remote play app was lackluster even on my local network.  Can I sit upstairs on the couch (my PS4 is in the basement) and play a game while my wife watches the Crown or Downton Abbey?  That's a real value to me.  Can I play when I take a business trip?  That's a value to me.  It may not matter at all to you.

I want to play RDR2.  Its available on both PS4 and Stadia.  I'm debating where I buy it.  I'll let you know what I decide.  If you have any questions or want me to try anything with Stadia let me know.

Ok, I've been able to spend more time with Stadia and it's completely fine. I treat it as a console spending most time playing on the Chromecast ultra with a wired connection. Playing both Destiny 2 and RDR2 is seemless and there is no perceived lag. I'm not a competitive player so I can't speak to twitch level lag, but normal playing feels the same as my PS4. 

I have played some on my Pixel3a phone as well. My first attempt was not great. It was lagging and the screen kept skipping. It took me a minute to figure I was on a 2.4ghz connection. What was disappointing is that the graphics didn't seem to downgrade as expected, it just lagged. That said, it may be user error. I have my settings on "Best Visuals" and not "Balanced". 

I swapped over to my 5ghz wifi network and tried again. This time the experience was significantly better. Honestly the visuals on my phone were better than the TV (only a 1080p). I was able to play for about 75 minutes on my phone battery. It was a bit challenging playing on the smaller screen, but not enough for me to not want to play. 

I've got about $80 invested in Stadia ($30 for my founders edition, and $50 for RDR2). I'm ok with that. I'll see how the next few months go before making a decision on continuing to pay for the Pro, but at this point I have no issues with Stadia. 

Also, my Buddy Pass is ready if anyone wants it?

This does not bode well.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-doom-eternal-stadia-looks-the-part-but-lag-is-too-high

 the difference between pressing the fire button and the action playing out on-screen sees Stadia adding an extra 79ms to 100ms over the same motion executed on Xbox One X. Yes, to be clear here, 79ms to 100ms is the extra latency you get by playing Doom Eternal on Stadia

ProDarwin said:

This does not bode well.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-doom-eternal-stadia-looks-the-part-but-lag-is-too-high

 the difference between pressing the fire button and the action playing out on-screen sees Stadia adding an extra 79ms to 100ms over the same motion executed on Xbox One X. Yes, to be clear here, 79ms to 100ms is the extra latency you get by playing Doom Eternal on Stadia

Yea, I suspect it is going to be a trade off decision for most folks. Graphics vs. Controller lag.  I would say it is not a competition gaming platform now.

I'll admit I haven't been playing it very much.  As much as it is a "play anywhere" platform, realistically it's tied to my Chromecast... which is in my office... which isn't ideal when your wife frowns on you disappearing into the basement for untold hours.  In truth, I spend my gaming time between racing Project Cars on the PS4 or playing other games on my Switch.

In my opinion, Stadia isn't quite ready to overtake consoles, but I suspect it will only improve if Google keeps investing in it.