It has been less than ninety days since the launch of Stadia, Googles’s subscription game streaming platform. In that time reviews of the service have been fairly negative and downloads of the app have stalled. One aspect of Stadia that has caused some trouble for the service is that the service requires fast internet to operate optimally. Fortunately, Google just revealed a new partnership with internet service provider Verizon that may alleviate this exact issue.
Under the new partnership program, which begins January 29, Verizon users who sign up for the internet service provider’s Fios Gigabit tier of internet access will receive a Stadia Premier Edition kit and three months of subscription to Stadia Pro. Gigabit service from Verizon is one of a few tiers of internet service that will allow Stadia to run games at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. The Premier Edition comes with a Google Chromecast Ultra, the version of Chromecast that can be used with 4K TVs, and a Stadia controller.
Stadia Premier Edition retails at $129 and Stadia Pro Subscriptions are $10 per month bringing the total value of the giveaway to $159. Verizon Fios Gigabit Access, on the other hand, is $79.99 per month. Even if someone were to just try out Gigabit to see Stadia running in one of its best possible setups for the three free month subscription, that would end up costing almost $240. Also, $79.99 is the starting price for Gigabit, the price varies based on locale and in some places the service is not available.
In addition, anyone who takes this deal they will need to buy the games to play on their new super-fast internet connection. Unlike other popular streaming apps that specialize in movies or TV shows, like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, Stadia requires users to pay for each piece of content separately in addition to the monthly subscription fee. The Stadia Pro upgrade that comes in the bundle does give players access to a rotating selection of free games, however. The spooky action-adventure game GYLT, which is the first Stadia exclusive title, and the post-apocalyptic shooter Metro Exodus will be the free games for Pro users in February.
Time will tell if these types of moves will make Stadia a success, or if the streaming service will go the way of Google Glass and Google+.
Source: Stadia
