Google Stadia wants to revolutionize the way you play video games, eliminating the need to buy powerful hardware or even download games. Instead, it offers instant access the second you want to play them.
However, Stadia is not alone in this area. It has many opponents, and one of the most formidable is Nvidia's GeForce Now service. Nvidia's alternative has received a lot of press, both good and bad, in recent months. Is this a serious alternative? Let's find out!
Compatible peripherals
Google Stadia is available on a variety of devices, although the way you access it differs with each device.
On Windows, MacOS, or a Chromebook, you can access Stadia by going to stadia.google.com in a Chromium-based web browser, like Google Chrome or the new Microsoft Edge.
On mobile, Stadia is played using a dedicated app for compatible Android phones. Both iPhone and iPad can access Stadia through a web app for Safari - there is no App Store option.
To play on a TV, Google suggests using the Chromecast Ultra, which requires the $ 69 Stadia controller. You can also attach a computer via an HDMI cable and use most wired or Bluetooth gamepads - Google's Stadia controller is not required.
Meanwhile, Nvidia GeForce Now has a similar distribution of supporting devices, although Nvidia does offer desktop software for MacOS and Windows. If you want to play on a Chromebook, there is a web app for that.
On mobile, you'll find a Play Store app for Android and Shield devices. Nvidia bypasses strict App Store regulations by providing a Safari web app for iPhone and iPad, just like Stadia.
Winner: Google Stadia. You don't need to download any software on Windows and macOS machines, or trick Chrome to play browser games like GeForce Now.
Controllers
Controller support depends on the underlying device, but generally you can use the DualShock 4, Xbox One Controller, and Xbox Adaptive Controller, as well as mouse and keyboard configurations with both platforms.
What really throws a wrench into the controller's scheme is Google's own product. The Stadia controller uses Bluetooth to pair it with the Chromecast Ultra, but it reverts to Wi-Fi for gaming. This means it can only be used on other devices via a USB connection. Likewise, you cannot use a bluetooth or wired controller with the Chromecast Ultra.
Currently, Google is working on a tandem mode feature that essentially allows third-party controllers to "layer" the associated Stadia controller so that you can use them with the Chromecast Ultra. In other words, it's best to connect a PC to your TV and just use a paired Bluetooth controller that you probably already have.
Nvidia GeForce Now supports mouse and keyboard setups and most Bluetooth controllers on a wide variety of devices, even Chromebooks. The controls should work over wired or wireless connections. For the most part, you can expect all PC compatible controller to also work with GeForce Now.
Winner: Nvidia GeForce Now. Actually, it should be a tie, but the shenanigans surrounding the Stadia Controller leave us a bit bitter.
Streaming quality
Once you are ready to start streaming games, you will need to determine how crucial the resolution and quality of the stream is to your experience. Google Stadia says it can outperform Nvidia GeForce Now by a considerable margin, delivering 4K resolution with HDR and 60 frames per second.
Nvidia GeForce Now's capabilities aren't nearly as impressive on paper, as the service is limited to 1080p (or lower) resolution and 60 frames per second. At the moment, there is no way to play games in 4K on the Nvidia GeForce Now service. he Is supports RTX ray tracing, unlike Stadia.
GeForce Now's lack of support for resolutions beyond 1080p is a problem if you have a 1440p or 4K display. The difference in sharpness between Stadia and GeForce Now is extremely noticeable, in Stadia's favor. Heaven helps you if GeForce Now streams buffers up to 720p while you're in 4K. The result is a bit like loading an original PlayStation 2 game on a modern HDTV.
If you're playing at 1080p, however, the services are neck and neck. I spent a lot of time with these services during my month of cloud gaming. I think Stadia looks a bit better, but GeForce Now is more reliable, in part because it's aggressive to reduce the quality of the stream to avoid possible hiccups.
Winner: Stadia. Google's cloud gaming service supports higher resolutions and HDR.
Game library
Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are cloud gaming services, but they handle games differently.
In a nutshell, Stadia is like having a game console. You buy a game and can only play it on that device, just like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, you don't have to download and install anything - all games stream from the cloud at no additional cost to you. .
But like Xbox Game Pass, Google offers a Pro subscription service for $ 10 / month that adds a list of games that you can play for free as long as you keep the subscription active. You also get discounts on games and a boost to 4K resolution. Any game you buy can also be shared with family, just like sharing Android apps on the Play Store through Family Sharing.
Currently, Google offers over 200 games in its library, some of which are subscription exclusives. These included Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny 2, Borderlands 3, Destroy all humans, Baldur Gate 3, and more. However, since you can't play these games locally on an Xbox or PlayStation, you're essentially creating a new library, and that sucks if you already own these games.
GeForce Now takes a different approach. It's not a "cloud console" with a walled garden like Stadia. Instead, Nvidia's service ties into the platforms you already use, such as Steam, Epic Store, or Uplay. It's sort of the middleman who extracts your purchased games from your libraries and streams them from Nvidia's servers to almost any device you own.
It's a godsend. This means that your existing game library is compatible with GeForce Now, and if you unsubscribe from GeForce Now, you can continue to play those games on your PC. GeForce Now also supports more games, hundreds in fact, including several of the most popular games on Steam, like Warframe and Ark: Survival Evolved.
But Nvidia's GeForce Now has suffered a series of departures. First Activision-Blizzard, then Bethesda, then 2K Games removed titles from the service - permissions removed, to be more precise. Despite this, GeForce Now still supports a wide selection of games and still supports a number of popular PC titles.
Winner: Nvidia GeForce Now. It supports more games and you can immediately enjoy the compatible games you already own.
Price and availability
This is where the dividing line is really deep.
Google Stadia is free. The only requirement is the purchase of a game, which is streamed to devices at 1080p. The $ 10 / month Pro membership boosts the resolution to 4K and adds a "free" library of games to your list. The only downside here, of course, is that you are creating another game library.
Nvidia's GeForce Now service is also free. However, the big hurdle with this plan is that you get stuck in an incredibly long queue and when your seat is ready you only get an hour of reading. To get "priority access" and "extended" session length, you'll need to upgrade to the Founders plan at a cost of $ 25 for six months. Ray tracing is also on.
Google Stadia is available in the United States and most European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Nvidia GeForce Now is available in the United States, Europe, Korea, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan.
Winner: Google Stadia. Of course, you have to buy the game, but avoiding long wait times and limited streaming sessions makes this the best option.
Google Stadia vs. Nvidia GeForce Now: who wins?
So let's do the math. You buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia for $ 60 and you can stream it for free - no waiting times, no session limits. You buy the same game on Steam and have to wait in a long queue for an hour-long session using GeForce Now. Going for the Founder's Plan adds around $ 5 to the cost each month, but you still stand in line and face session length. You also don't get the 4K boost as seen in Stadia Pro.
The winner was easier to pick at one point, as Google Stadia was relatively new. We are now in 2021 and the platform is harder to ignore. Both services have their strengths and weaknesses, but there is no argument that if you have purchased Eternal doom on Steam, you really don't want to buy it again from Stadia just to stream it to some crappy machine. This is Nvidia's greatest strength.
We understood.
But seriously, when we launch a game on the PC or console, it's bad enough that we have to wait until the game is actually charge. We want to play it now. One of the great things about cloud gaming is that you can do it even faster and don't have to wait a week for a Gigamax-sized patch to download and install. But queuing up to play our purchased game and being limited in how long we can play it just isn't cool, even though we do pay a monthly fee.
With just one click, you can play a game on Google Stadia - no lines, no time limits. More so, it supports 4K and HDR, which GeForce Now does not. This might make Stadia the best choice if you have a 4K HDR TV.
So what's the answer? If you don't mind creating a new library, Google Stadia is a good choice. If you don't want to buy more games, you don't mind standing in line and knowing how long you can play, then GeForce Now may be your best bet.
More information on cloud gaming:Editor's recommendations
https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/google-stadia-vs-nvidia-geforce-now/
