“It’s just going to run on wi-fi to start,” Osterloh said in an interview with The Verge. This means that one of the main selling points of the Stadia - being able to take triple-A gaming experiences wherever - will simply not be a factor at launch. Google Stadia players will be restricted to using the service in places where they have access to wi-fi, which is no doubt disappointing news to some who were looking forward to Stadia.
RELATED: Google Stadia Has Bizarre Plan to Combat Lag
This isn’t the only disappointing bit of information to come out about the Stadia ahead of the streaming service’s launch. It’s also been revealed that the Google Stadia controller will only be wireless when used with Chromecast Ultra devices. Granted, everyone with Stadia at launch will be getting a Chromecast Ultra as it comes with the Founder’s Edition, but having to use a wired controller when playing Stadia games on other devices is a bit of a letdown for some.
It will be interesting to see how the general public reacts to these Stadia setbacks. Of course, they’re far from the only hurdle that Stadia will have to overcome. One of the biggest issues facing the Stadia is the reality of strict data caps that limit the Internet access of many people across the United States. Research suggests that Stadia will absolutely destroy data caps, though Google executives seem to think ISPs will simply raise their data caps in response. This seems unlikely, but we’ll see what happens.
If Stadia is a success, then Google will have a firmer grip on the video game market than it ever has before. Stadia having to compete with the likes of the PS5 and Project Scarlett may be a bit too much for it to handle, but we’ll find out as we enter the next-generation of video gaming in 2020.
MORE: Google Stadia Price, Release Date, and Games: Everything We Know So Far
Source: The Verge
