Image: © Andrei/Stock.adobe.com
Google’s new console-free gaming system, Stadia, is due to go live on 19 November.
Several key features will not be ready when Google’s Stadia gaming platform launches in less than a week’s time on 19 November, developers at the firm have revealed.
Stadia is a cloud-based service that will stream games to players via an internet connection instead of requiring them to be downloaded, with Google’s servers handling much of the processing power.
Google is hoping to take on the likes of Microsoft and PlayStation with its cloud-based gaming service, which does not require a console, allowing gamers to play across multiple devices, including TV via a Chromecast Ultra, laptop or tablet through the Chrome browser, or on the latest Pixel smartphones.
The Google Stadia controller. Image: Google
Absence of achievements, family sharing and multiplayer
Responding to questions on Reddit, Stadia developers said users will not be able to see their achievements right away, though they will be saved and made available to view “shortly after launch”.
Family sharing of games will also not be possible from day one, though “it’s a high priority feature” the company is planning to add early next year.
Separately purchased Chromecast Ultra devices that support 4K streaming will not be ready immediately for playing on the platform either, with developers telling people that an update will be put out soon after launch.
Developers also said they expect the first game with its multiplayer experience Stream Connect to debut by the end of the year.
“Our approach to releasing features on Stadia is similar to how we run Google Search, YouTube and other Google services: gradual roll-out and continuous improvement, based on your feedback,” said Andrey Doronichev, Stadia’s director of product.
“We always start with nailing the key user journey and then proceed with releasing extra features.”
Google has only made Stadia available as part of a Founder’s Edition initially on 19 November, before releasing it more widely in 2020.
– PA Media
