[ad_1]
By Ayanti Bera 
2h ago
Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Wednesday it would grant two months of free access to the paid version of its cloud-based game streaming platform Stadia, as people are confined to their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Users can access Stadia by downloading the application on their iOS or Android phones or by registering on their website.
The company said its offering was open to users in 14 countries, starting Wednesday, and that it will be implemented over the next 48 hours.
The paid version, Stadia Pro, otherwise costs $ 9.99 a month and offers access to games like “GRID” and “Destiny 2: The Collection” in 4K resolution.
“To further reduce Internet load, we are working towards a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p,” the company said in a blog post.
Launched in November, Google’s Stadia is expected to compete with Microsoft Corp’s upcoming xCloud Project.
Google offers the 4K version as part of its premium service, Stadia Pro, priced at $ 9.99 per month. The free high-definition version is expected to launch next year.
Stadia will need at least 10Mbps of internet speed for the base resolution of 720p and 35Mbps to stream 4K games. Early Stadia reviews have complained about latency, the time lag between pressing a button and getting feedback on the screen.
The success of cloud gaming largely depends on the underlying network and how much latency-controlled traffic it can support during peak demand periods, said Steve Alexander, chief technology officer at Ciena Corp, a maker of telecommunications equipment.
Analysts are also pinning Stadia’s success on the content it offers, as most of the games on the platform are already available on consoles.
“Stadia will live or die for its content,” said George Jijiashvili, senior analyst at Ovum, a brokerage firm, adding that an overwhelming number of launch titles made it difficult to generate real enthusiasm.
Sony also offers a PlayStation Now game streaming platform at $ 9.99 per month that includes more than 800 games in its console titles.
Google is billing Stadia for non-gamers, but it will have to solve some problems to make it more attractive than a console or a personal computer, said Chaim Seigel, analyst at Elazar Advisors.
Reuters
[ad_2]
