Google Stadia Review Roundup

Finally, another game console has joined the race and no...its not the return of the Sega Dreamcast (Sad Face), but Google as they decided to join the console war with the announcement of the Stadia earlier this year. Even more intriguing is the fact that they are aiming to win without having an actual console. The Stadia is an online streaming service where gamers can access and play their games on any device via the Chrome browser. It is a bold move that has Google looking to position themselves just ahead of Microsoft's own online streaming platform(Project X Cloud). However, Google's initial revealed of the Stadia triggered more sceptics than pre-orders, especially when it came to issues of latency and library. In other words, does it work? Here's what critics had to say:

THE VERGE
'I can’t imagine many gamers paying three ways for Stadia today, but I could definitely see them paying once. They’ll want to know whether to buy a new console or upgrade their PC for Cyberpunk 2077 next April... and maybe decide to instead spend $60 on a Stadia copy they’ll only play in their Chrome web browser, using what will then be a free Google PC in the cloud. Maybe they see an ad on YouTube, press a button, instantly start playing, and get hooked. Maybe a streamer shares an epic gameplay moment they relive for themselves. Maybe the immediate gratification of a single game becomes the gateway for more.'

For the full review click here.

WIRED
'Google has a lot of features to flesh out and issues to address, but Stadia lives up to at least some of its lofty ambitions. It's positioned to bring gaming to more people on more platforms than ever before, and there’s something very exciting about that prospect. If you’re on the fence about investing $129 in an unproven service, you’re not alone. The Premiere Edition is basically for true believers who don't mind dropping serious money on what amounts to a pay-to-play beta test. When February rolls around and those free trials are offered, you should give it a shot. You might be surprised.'

For the full review click here.

GAMES RADAR
Google has brought cloud-streaming to market in a way that feels more accessible than it has ever done so in the past. That said, there's still a little ways to go before it feels like Stadia has a clear purpose, outside of Google proving that streaming games off of the cloud and into your home with surprisingly little friction is indeed possible. If the circumstances are right, if your connection is strong, then Stadia feels like a potential pathway towards the future for this industry and game-streaming feels like magic. I'm just not sure our network infrastructure – or the way the wider industry considers streaming – is there just yet. ​

For the full review click here.

IGN
'With a game streaming, your bandwidth usage doesn’t stop at any point and it varies constantly depending on the level of detail in your environment, lighting, the number of enemies on the screen. You’re constantly consuming your data cap (if you have one) and it only takes a bigger chomp as you play more graphically demanding games. Google Stadia has fully realized game streaming better with the highest fidelity graphics and lowest input lag of any service I’ve ever used, but there are more features Google has promised that are on their way than are actually available on the service right now.'

​For the full review click here.

GAMESPOT 
'I have experienced less than half of Stadia's launch library at this time. There are more games coming very soon, but most are titles that are readily available on other platforms. So far, Google's tech has impressed me to the point where I would comfortably play most in a browser tab or on a phone without batting an eye, but then I consider that I will have to buy the vast majority of games, and I'm left in awe of the value Microsoft and Sony are offering, even if their overall services lack Stadia's flexibility. For the moment, cloud gaming still feels like a decent alternative to the real thing, and I don't think I'm ready to dedicate a full-price game purchase to a secondary platform.'

For the full review click here.

GAME XPLAIN (VIDEO REVIEW)

Any first steps into any new technology are always guaranteed to be a little rocky, so these early reports of Stadia's few niggles aren't surprising. There is no question that there exists real potential with the service but all 'consoles' life and die by its game library and in that area, Google definitely has some work to do.  

​Google Stadia Service is live right now.

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