THE NOTICE
Google is taking its first steps in the video game. The tech giant has launched Tuesday Stadia, its streaming video game platform. The principle is innovative: more console, we play remotely on Google's servers. An enticing promise for gamers. But is it really held? With the help of Jean-Kléber Lauret, journalist in charge of the high-tech section of the site Jeuxvideo.com, invited Wednesday of Media Culture , Europe 1 gives you the keys to know if you must, or not, subscribe to Stadia .
An affordable price
First there is the price argument. Stadia's "First Edition" pack, which includes three months of subscription, the gamepad and the Chromecast box to play on TV, is sold for 129 euros. Then the subscription is 9.99 euros per month. If you have to compare, it is far from a PS4 or an Xbox One, sold between 300 and 500 euros, and even more than a PC gaming, whose price can easily exceed 1.000 euros. If you do not have a console or a powerful PC and would like to play AAA games (the "blockbusters" of the video game), then Stadia can be a cheaper solution.
READ >> Prices, games, internet connection ... What you need to know about Google Stadia
But beware, this is not a "Netflix video game"! The monthly subscription only gives access to cloud gaming technology. Apart from the free games which will be distilled regularly, you have to pay the games you want to play on Stadia. Most of the time, they are at the same price as on other platforms, but some users were surprised to see that rather old titles, including the Tomb Raider trilogy, are sold more expensive than on Xbox One or Playstation 4, where their price has dropped over the years.
Advanced but still limited technology
Stadia's technology is rather developed, at least in some aspects. Thus, it is possible to play with one click, no download, no update and no loading time. "It's pretty magical, when you have a Stadia account, just go to your Chrome browser on any computer, sign in to your account and click 'Play' and the game starts instantly. ", explains Jean-Kléber Lauret. It is also valid on television and telephone.
Well, almost, because the promise is only partially fulfilled. "For now, Stadia only works on Google smartphones, Pixels 2, 3 and 4," says Jean-Kléber Lauret. While Google is arguably the most powerful tech brand in the world, it is a very marginal player in phone sales. "Google promises that, gradually, we will be able to play on other brands of phones but there is no fixed date.We talk about current 2020," says the journalist Gamesvideo.com.
Games too few and not enough recent
Another problem: the game catalog is very limited, even if it should evolve. At launch, Stadia includes only about twenty games, including one exclusive and a handful of games released in 2019. The majority of the catalog consists of titles released two, three or five years ago. It's a little light. But Google ensures that other games will arrive very quickly and that Stadia will stall gradually on the rhythms of the big outings.
Provided, however, that publishers make their games available to Google. Ubisoft has partnered to make its games available on Stadia but not Electronic Arts for example. If you are a fan of Fifa , you may be disappointed. "The Stadia catalog is largely games for 'hardcore gamers', regulars in the video game, with the exception of Just Dance 2020 , it's not very popular," says Jean-Kléber Lauret .
If you do not have fiber, forget about Stadia
In March, at Stadia's presentation conference, Google's project manager Phil Harrison promised a platform that would remove all the brakes that could limit the console game experience. "It's wrong, there is still a major constraint: the Internet connection.To enjoy Stadia, you need very high speed, ideally fiber, but fiber is mostly connected in cities today. To have the best gaming experience, Google recommends a connection at 35 megabits per second, a good fiber, "says Jean-Kléber Lauret.
Not everyone in France benefits from such a connection. Still, Stadia is accessible to people connected by cable or ADSL. "I tested, it works, but the visual quality of the games is severely degraded," says the journalist Gamesvideo.com. As for mobile gaming, it is today limited to a wi-fi connection. To play in 4G, it will take a little. In fact, mobile gaming cloud is mostly a feature related to 5G. But this new generation of mobile network will not be democratized for several years.
Missed beginnings
Result, for Jean-Kléber Lauret, "Google missed his entry into the video game". "Many promises are not held at launch, it lacks a lot of features: we can not play on any phone, nor broadcast its live part on YouTube with a simple button, the Stadia controller must necessarily be connected by wire if you play on the phone or computer, the catalog of games is not large enough ... For 10 euros per month, it is not enough, "he says. This is all the more damaging that the power of Google let hope for a final result much more impressive.
In fact, subscribing to Stadia today is not very interesting. Unless you're passionate about video games that are curious about technology, and have not already played the few games available, Google's offer is too incomplete to be really convincing. This does not mean that Stadia has no interest. The technology is rather developed and promising. But no doubt that Stadia arrived too early. We would rather wait until 2020, when other features will be available and the game catalog will be expanded to more recent titles.