Stadia moves the games machine into Google's data centers
Google's newly announced streaming platform promises high-end games across screens, putting the internet connection at the center of the experience.
Google has introduced Stadia, a gaming platform that runs games in data centers and streams the result to the player. The company is targeting resolutions up to 4K at 60 frames per second and plans an initial launch later this year in selected markets.
The attraction is straightforward: less dependence on the hardware beneath the television or on the desk. A screen that cannot run a demanding game locally may still be able to display a stream of it. Google also sees opportunities to connect playing games with watching them on YouTube.
But a game is not a film. Every input must travel to a remote machine and return as a visible response. Connection stability, latency and the eventual catalog will determine whether Stadia feels like a practical alternative to a console, rather than an impressive demonstration.
Source: Google announcement ↗