UPDATE: After the backlash surrounding its lackluster launch titles, Google has announced that Stadia will launch on November 19th with 10 more titles.
Included in those games are NBA 2K20, Football Manager 2020, Trials Rising and GRID. The full list of 22 games can be seen below.
Tonight Google Stadia announced that its launch lineup for Tuesday has increased to 22 games from the 12 announced last week. pic.twitter.com/1SIfhPBkuC
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) November 18, 2019
ORIGINAL: Google Stadia, Google’s first foray into mainstream gaming, launches officially on November 19. And while there’s plenty of controversy surrounding features that will, and won’t, be available at launch, one thing l earlier this year, Stadia will launch without a single sports title in its catalog. Of the 12 initial games available, the closest you can get to “sport” is Mortal Kombat 11.
Google is claiming that 14 more games will be available by the end of 2019 for the cloud-based service. That’s when fans will get their first look at sports games on the platform when NBA 2K20, GRID, and Football Manager 2020 debut.
What Is Google Stadia?
For those that either don’t know or don’t remember, Stadia is Google’s cloud-based console that allows people to play the latest games without needing top-of-the-line hardware.
While the excitement for the platform’s launch should be through the roof, players have become more and more skeptical of it’s potential after Google recently revealed a number of the features that won’t be there at launch.
Features like Crowd Play, Chromecast streaming (other than the one that comes with the purchase of the Founders/Premiere buncles), and Wireless Controller play on mobile are just a few of a number of the features not available despite being touted as major features during the build up.
Primed for Disappointment?
Many shelled out the $129.99 Founders Edition that included a controller, Chromecast Ultra and a three-month of Stadia Pro subscription. There’s a good chance that within those three months, many won’t be spending their time playing the games available simply due to lack of a library and the age of the game’s available. I’m pretty sure if anyone wanted to play games like Tomb Raider 2013 and Just Dance, they’d play them elsewhere.
After those three months pass, or if you want to just get the service, you’ll be spending $9.99 per month for the Stadia Pro Subscription that works similar to other streaming services where the catalog of games will grow over time. That said, not all games will be a part of the Stadia Pro subscription as some will still require you to purchase the game in order to play. The free version of Stadia, which requires you to buy all of the games in full is slated to launch sometime in 2020.
In order to actually use the service, you will need to use either a Google Pixel, a TV with a specific version of the Chromecast Ultra, or a Chrome browser on your computer. Players will also need a controller like the Stadia controller, a DualShock 4 or Xbox One Controller with Bluetooth or a wired Xbox 360 or Xbox One Elite controller. But know that if you use the Stadia Controller, you can only use it wirelessly at launch with the Chromecast Ultra that came with it.
If you are worried about data usage, Google has stated that at the highest quality, data usage could reach as high as 20 GB/hr. So, if you’re on a plan like Comcast that has data caps, you may need to be concerned.