author: Bart Swiatek
Google Stadia Controller Not so Wireless on PC and Smartphone
It seems that the Google Stadia controller will only allow wireless playing if the games are streamed using Chromecast Ultra. If you want to use the Stadia on your smartphone or PC, you will need to connect it to the gamepad with a USB-C cable, or... use a different controller.
Google has recently published a video in which it announces some of the basic principles of the upcoming Google Stadia streaming platform. It turns out that the service's dedicated controller will allow for wireless connection only to Chromecast Ultra. If you want to enjoy the pad while streaming games to your phone or PC, you will need to connect it with a USB-C cable.
Limitations may be related to the way the controller works - it uses a Wi-Fi network to connect directly to the web and reduce control delays (incidentally, a patent describing a very similar solution was recently registered by Sony). Wireless connectivity to devices other than Chromecast Ultra may be introduced in the future - the video uses the term 'at launch' in this context. It is also worth noting that the Stadia will work with other controllers (Bluetooth or USB cable is required, so in theory we would only need a good old Xbox or PlayStation pad).
Of course, customers can always just buy Chromecast Ultra and the controller - they can be purchased separately or in the Google Stadia Founder's Edition package, where for $129 we will also get, among other things, three months of subscription to Stadia Pro, which on the day of release will be required to use the service anyway (the free version will launch only next year).
We would like to remind that Google Stadia will appear on the market on November 19.