APRIL 2020 • TECH ADVISOR 73But Google should be even more worried. By
Google’s own calculations, 4K streaming requires up
to 20GB of data per hour. If we take the average Red
Dead Redemption II playthrough of 75 hours, Stadia
would burn through up to 1.5TB of data before the
end. Stadia simply isn’t a good choice for most people
with metered Internet, especially those with multiple
players under one roof. 10 hours here, 10 hours there,
it adds up incredibly fast – and that’s before you factor
in Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Spotify, or any other streaming
services you might use.
Verdict
Is Google Stadia the future? That’s really two questions,
I guess. First, ‘Is streaming the future of gaming?’
Possibly. It’s convenient, and even exciting at times. But
if you’re asking whether Stadia is the platform to get us
there? I have my doubts.
Whether or not Google turns Stadia into a long-term
success, it’s hard not to feel they botched the launch.
The underlying tech is great, but everything else half-
works, or works only in specific situations, or it’s ‘coming
soon’.I can’timaginethisis whatGooglehadin mind
whenit putonthatsplashyunveilingeventatGDC. If it
is, then that raises even more questions. Mark Hachman
Specifications
Stadiacontroller
- GoogleAssistantbutton and microphone
- Capturebutton
- Dual-band802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 4.2