Earlier this month, Microsoft added NBA 2K21 to it’s growing Xbox Game Pass library. For just $9.99 a month, players get full access to games like NBA 2K21 with no strings attached. Xbox Series X|S users even get to download Visual Concept’s next-gen edition of NBA 2K21, which comes with a number of major upgrades over its current-gen counterpart. For folks who don’t have an Xbox console, there is another opportunity to play the latest NBA 2K game. Gamers will be able to play NBA 2K21 for free until Tuesday, March 23 to Google Stadia Pro members.
Think you got what it takes to make a SPLASH like Steph Curry or Damien Lillard? Prove it by playing @NBA2K 21! Try it for free with Stadia Pro until March 23. Not a Stadia Pro member yet? Sign up for a free one month trial today! https://t.co/v2jJTVdVQ7 pic.twitter.com/V83TKBErAP
— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) March 19, 2021
What To Expect For NBA 2K21 On Google Stadia
Unlike many games that have come to the fledgling Google Stadia service, NBA 2K21 launched for Stadia alongside PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. To play a game on the Google Stadia service, you have to both pay for the service ($9.99 a month for Stadia Pro, comparable to Xbox Game Pass) and for the game, usually at full price. The nice thing is, like PlayStation+, Google Stadia adds games each month that Stadia Pro users can redeem and keep for free for as long as they have Google Stadia Pro. That’s the case for NBA 2K21, Stadia Pro users will be able to claim and download the game for free, as long as they do so by Tuesday.
The biggest downside? NBA 2K21 on Google Stadia is the current-gen version. Unfortunately, the next-gen version, with all its additional bells and whistles, only runs on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. You’ll still get the core version, complete with frequent patches and updates, but you’ll be missing out on a lot.
The Google Stadia Curiosity
Google Stadia is in a weird place right now. The futuristic streaming platform started off on the wrong foot, with a shaky launch in which many of the features Google advertised for Stadia simply didn’t work. Last September, Google released a new Chromecast for Google TV that did not support Google Stadia. To its credit, Stadia still says compatibility is coming “in the first half of this year.”
Hi there, thanks for the tweet. It's going to be available in the first half of this year. We appreciate your patience and we'd suggest keeping an eye on our social channels for announcements.
— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) March 19, 2021
Earlier this year, Google announced it would be closing its internal game development studio to focus its platform on distribution of third party games. I would be hard pressed to suggest Google Stadia as a service, especially just to play the less optimized version of NBA 2K21. If you’re a Google Stadia supporter, however, don’t miss out on this opportunity to play a pretty good basketball game.
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