Google lets it be known that to play from smartphones with its cloud gaming platform will be necessary to be connected to a Wi-Fi network
The new cloud gaming platform Google Stadia will open its doors in less than a month, to be precise on November 19, with a (predictable) limitation: to play from smartphones will need a Wi-Fi connection. This was admitted by Rick Osterloh, head of Google's hardware division, during The Verge podcast.
Osterloh said that, at least initially, it won't be possible to play with a mobile connection and that this feature will come only later. But he did not specify when. Recall that at launch Stadia will be available only to those who have pre-ordered the Premiere Edition package, which includes three months of subscription to Stadia Pro, a Chromecast Ultra and the Stadia controller. All at a cost of 129 euros. The mandatory Wi-Fi is not, among other things, the only limitation that will have Google Stadia at launch so much so that already someone in the forums criticizes Google talking not launch, but a sort of public beta fee.
Google Stadia: the problem connection
Stadia will be a platform for cloud gaming and this means that the processing of data generated by each game will be done remotely from Google's servers. The user will be sent the game's graphic flow, sounds and other information to interact with the video game through the Internet connection. In this way, in theory, you can play the most modern and heavy titles with any hardware. In theory, since the connection is the real bottleneck.
Since the beginning everyone wondered if the gaming experience will be smooth on Stadia, since the data flow needed varies (depending on the resolution, audio and other quality parameters chosen by the user), between 10 Mbps and 35 Mbps. Now Google, indirectly, confirms that a good 4G connection is probably not enough for Stadia, so Wi-Fi is needed.
Will 5G be needed?
The hypotheses, at this point, are two: either Google is waiting for the 5G connection to become widespread enough, or it is doing a first test (with a small number of users) to its servers and transmission protocols to understand if, how and when it will be possible to make them play also via mobile connection. In any case, for most gamers, being able to use a cloud platform only when you're at home is practically a nonsense.
Google Stadia: all the limitations
In addition to the connection limitation, Google Stadia will initially have other limitations: compatible smartphones will only be the Pixel, from Pixel 2 to Pixel 4, and the controller will be able to send commands via Bluetooth only if it's connected to the Chromecast (otherwise you'll have to connect it via USB-C). According to some, this last limitation hides Google's need to put a large amount of unsold Chromecast on the market.